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Last update - 17:29 13/10/2009
Turkey: World blamed Islam as Israel bombed Gaza
By Barak Ravid and Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: NATO, israel news 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused the international community of shifting responsibility for the war in the Gaza Strip from Israel to Muslims.

His speech to the Turkish Religious Council came amid increased tensions between Turkey and Israel, following Ankara's last-minute decision to ban Israel from an international air force drill as a show of protest over the Gaza war.

The Turkish decision, announced on Sunday, led NATO countries to pull out of the exercise.
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"People just watched from the comfort of their seats as phosphorus bombs rained on innocent children in Gaza," The Turkish agency Sabah quoted Erdogan as saying. "In international platforms, efforts ensued to blame Islam for Islamic terror."

"... When phosphorus bombs were rained on innocent children in Gaza, the whole world, all of humanity, watched from their comfortable chairs and their safe havens," the Turkish prime minister said.

"However, as all this was happening, unfortunately from time to time in international discussion platforms, the term 'Islamic terror' began to be used, and efforts were made to place blame on the Muslims and Islam," he said.

Israel's opposition leader, Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni, told Turkish state television in an interview broadcast on Monday that supporting the war on terror was not an anti-Palestinian act, but an anti-terrorism act.

The Kadima MK spoke a day after Turkey's decision to bar Israel from participating in the international military exercise on Turkish soil.

In a message to the Turkish people, Livni urged Turkey to join the moderate elements in the region in the war on terror. The key issue facing the region today, said Livni, was the threat of extremism - not a bilateral crisis between Israel and Turkey.

"I am saying to the people of Turkey and their leaders: Supporting the war on terror is not an anti-Palestinian act - it is an anti-terrorism act," said Livni. "Hamas does not represent the national aspirations of the Palestinians. It is not acting on their behalf or promoting them."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a sharp statement Monday in which it urged Israeli officials to use "common sense" in their statements about the current tension between the two countries.

In its statement the Turkish ministry said the "international part" of the "Turkish exercise" had merely been "postponed," and "it is inappropriate to draw a political meaning and conclusion from the postponement."

Therefore, it concluded, "it is impossible to accept the assessments and comments attributed to Israeli officials in the press. We invite Israeli officials to [use] common sense in their stance and statements."

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, however, implied in an interview with CNN on Sunday that the cancelation was in fact political. "We hope that the situation in Gaza will be improved," he said. "The situation will be back to the diplomatic track. And that will create a new atmosphere in Turkish-Israeli relations as well. But in the existing situation, of course we are criticizing this ... Israeli approach."

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a statement Monday in which he urged Israeli officials to refrain from verbal assaults on Turkey.

"Israel's relations with Turkey are strategic, and have existed for dozens of years," he stressed. "Despite all the ups and downs Turkey continues to be a key player in our region."

Other senior defense officials similarly tried to lower the flames. An Israel Defense Forces source said there was no change in Israeli-Turkish plans for other joint exercises and that both armies had common goals.

Defense officials insisted that the cancelation stemmed from the Turkish government's domestic political needs and its foreign policy needs vis-a-vis Arab countries and did not reflect a change in the Turkish-Israeli strategic relationship.

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      1.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 03:58  |  dudi 13/10/09
      2.   Turkey: "It is political but it isn`t; use common sense..." 04:25  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/10/09
      3.   Common Sense From Turkey? 04:25  |  Brad 13/10/09
      4.   Common Sense 04:27  |  Michael Simon 13/10/09
      5.   COMING: EU REJECTS TURKEY, WHICH TURNS TO IRAN AND CHINA 04:48  |  Arik Silverman 13/10/09
      6.   storm in a teacup 05:09  |  Amin Vaz 13/10/09
      7.   Why should Israel use common sense? Turkey certainly hasn`t 05:09  |  Chafrles 13/10/09
      8.   Just don`t go to Tukey for vacations. 05:51  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/10/09
      9.   If Israel were still under the influence of common sense 05:51  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      10.   Turkey, paying the price 05:59  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      11.   what is Israel common sense 07:14  |  dani.a 13/10/09
      12.   chicken or the egg 07:37  |  vik 13/10/09
      13.   Where is Turkey`s moral compass..... 08:40  |  allang 13/10/09
      14.   #5 Arik Silverman 09:16  |  Albrecht Klein 13/10/09
      15.   Strategic Importance 09:28  |  Paul Seminera 13/10/09
      16.   #2 Fortuna Benmayor - Not really... 09:56  |  S 13/10/09
      17.   Turkyie understands the area more 09:58  |  Serdar KASAPOGLU 13/10/09
      18.   strategic importance? 10:09  |  Genuine Moshe 13/10/09
      19.   The US "postpones" US-Israeli air drill 10:25  |  Samantha D 13/10/09
      20.   Ridiculous 10:48  |  Mehmet 13/10/09
      21.   "Turkish FM travel to Syria in sign of warming relations" 10:55  |  Justine Effort 13/10/09
      22.   Bizarre... 11:17  |  Gabriel 13/10/09
      23.   amusing and bitter view 11:18  |  Jamal 13/10/09
      24.   #10 Samantha---we in Europe should be upset. 12:12  |  Labhras 13/10/09
      25.   crisis with turkey 12:18  |  zoe 13/10/09
      26.   turks 12:19  |  zoe 13/10/09
      27.   Livni / Turkey 12:19  |  Brit 13/10/09
      28.   "did not reflect a change in the Turkish-Israeli relationship" 12:44  |  Santa Claus 13/10/09
      29.   Bring back the Ottoman Empire!! 12:51  |  Faysal 13/10/09
      30.   Turkey: if Israel wants to bomb Iranian sites, 13:12  |  Erastus CoupeDeVille 13/10/09
      31.   IT IS TIME ISRAEL TO ADMIT WORLD THAT THE GAZA WAS A WAR CRIME. 13:20  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/10/09
      32.   The threat of extremism 13:23  |  Confused 13/10/09
      33.   True friendship sometimes hurts 13:33  |  Annon 13/10/09
      34.   Erdogan entry into Gaza 13:49  |  Andrew Chermak 13/10/09
      35.   Turkey 13:49  |  tony 13/10/09
      36.   The world blamed Hamas/their allies and rightly so! 13:51  |  Murray of Montreal 13/10/09
      37.   Lack of vision of a politician 13:51  |  mehmet 13/10/09
      38.   Erdogan emulating Ahmadinejad 13:57  |  Hallegua 13/10/09
      39.   Erdogan is right and brave... 14:41  |  Petros 13/10/09
      40.   Turkey`s absurdities 14:41  |  DT 13/10/09
      41.   Turkey bombed the Kurds!! 14:44  |  Yosi 13/10/09
      42.   Except, Ms Livni, you use terrorism and Islam interchangeably 14:45  |  Fatima Angelique 13/10/09
      43.   A hate-filled man 14:52  |  Paul 13/10/09
      44.   Mehmet from Istambul ,is the Turkish Army criminal? 14:53  |  Absolute Sweden 13/10/09
      45.   Samantha - "US Postponement" 14:55  |  Israeli 13/10/09
      46.   To Annon #33, re: true friendship 14:56  |  Greg 13/10/09
      47.   Israel Wants Operation Cast Lead Forgotten 15:03  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/10/09
      48.   armenia issue 15:05  |  turk 13/10/09
      49.   Israel Violated Human Values: The World Needs to Know 15:08  |  Vladek 13/10/09
      50.   Turkey would do the same 15:24  |  Middle East Guru 13/10/09
      51.   Paraphrasing the Turkish prime minister 15:26  |  Yonatan 13/10/09
      52.   Turkey is using Israel to different ends 15:31  |  Abecassis 13/10/09
      53.   Israel and Turkey and "common sense" 15:53  |  Aaron 13/10/09
      54.   We invite Israeli officials to [use] common sense in their stance 15:53  |  Eli 13/10/09
      55.   Hizb, Hamas, and now Turkey... next Abdullah? 15:54  |  Justin W. Markus 13/10/09
      56.   line between terrorism/state extremism & self-defense/resistance 16:05  |  Aharon 13/10/09
      57.   from turkey 16:08  |  eren 13/10/09
      58.   this is not chess 16:11  |  ali 13/10/09
      59.   Turkey 16:17  |  Kerri 13/10/09
      60.   Yonatan 16:25  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      61.   Barak is Correct 16:30  |  Ron 13/10/09
      62.   Israel Must Take a Stand and Stop Double-Talk 16:31  |  massaraksh 13/10/09
      63.   Short Term Thinking 16:32  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      64.   WE JUST WANT JUSTICE FOR THE INNOCENT CHILDREEN ! THATS ALL. 16:34  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 13/10/09
      65.   Napoleon was a pretty good general 16:36  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      66.   relations Turkey and Israel 16:36  |  Atilhanlax 13/10/09
      67.   eren Turkey mass genocide is okay for you? 16:51  |  Petra 13/10/09
      68.   Response to post #66. Mr Turk you are so wrong. 16:53  |  David Wood 13/10/09
      69.   petra and genocide #67 17:00  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/10/09
      70.   Serdar kasapoglu - Turks do not even understand Ataturk anymor 17:11  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      71.   Turks and their crimes 17:14  |  Ed 13/10/09
      72.   Islamists took over Turkey . It used to be 17:19  |  TOMY 13/10/09
      73.   Mehmet - lets make a deal 17:23  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      74.   If EU and USA have choose between Israel and Turkey 17:24  |  Petteri 13/10/09
      75.   Israel must forthrightly declare its right of self-defense 17:29  |  Paul Freedman 13/10/09
      76.   #64 Atilla 17:31  |  Zionoid Entity 13/10/09
      77.   Paul in Jerusalem #43 17:31  |  Raffa 13/10/09
      78.   David israel--what about that 70 year limitation you 17:31  |  Labhras 13/10/09
      79.   The Turks are a joke! 17:37  |  Brad Pearman 13/10/09
      80.   Paul Freedman and His Threats 17:37  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/10/09
      81.   Atilhanlax let me remind you 17:39  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      82.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 17:40  |  American in NY 13/10/09
      83.   David Israel 70 re Labhras 17:44  |  American in NY 13/10/09
      84.   Fatima Angelique 17:52  |  Lola 13/10/09
      85.   to Brad Pearman 17:56  |  Ali 13/10/09
      86.   Turks and Jews are the same ethic group 17:58  |  David Goldstein 13/10/09
      87.   A in NY - I love my country the USA and happy 18:02  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      88.   A in NY 18:10  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      89.   Here is a sample from the report 18:16  |  Labhras 13/10/09
      90.   More from the report 18:17  |  Labhras 13/10/09
      91.   David israel---it was Barak that refused the Clinton plan 18:29  |  Labhras 13/10/09
      92.   David Israel - Ataturk was Jewish 18:33  |  potyul 13/10/09
      93.   Chutzpah! 18:43  |  max 13/10/09
      94.   Turkey sought to humiliate Israel by last minute very public slap 18:43  |  Jason 13/10/09
      95.   Jews outside Israel have longer life expectancy 18:50  |  Meital 13/10/09
      96.   Labhras - Clinton`s words to Arafat 18:51  |  David Isarel 13/10/09
      97.   How many KURDISH children has Turkey Killed? 18:51  |  DM 13/10/09
      98.   It`s easy to divorce a women if you are single 18:58  |  Adi 13/10/09
      99.   Potyul frokm Adana - please check yuour facts 19:05  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      100.   Hey Adi from Trabzon - You make a good point 19:13  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      101.   #10 Mr Lincoln 19:15  |  Big Sur 13/10/09
      102.   Fighting Terror While Emphasizing Officially... 19:22  |  Yosemite 13/10/09
      103.   #24 Lahbras what have YOU to be upset about? 19:22  |  Big Sur 13/10/09
      104.   Little puddle from California 19:23  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      105.   #96 19:25  |  Harold 13/10/09
      106.   #96 David Israel a delightfully true post 19:25  |  Big Sur 13/10/09
      107.   To Adi, That was hillarious :-) 19:27  |  Frank 13/10/09
      108.   Ghenghis Khan and religious tolerance 19:28  |  Anonymous 13/10/09
      109.   Lahbras needs an explanation 19:32  |  Big Sur 13/10/09
      110.   No effective strategy 19:37  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      111.   GAZZA 19:40  |  BEN 13/10/09
      112.   104 Mr Lincoln His nervousness means name calling 19:46  |  Big Sur (a gr8 place 13/10/09
      113.   Big Sur - indeed a great place 19:53  |  David Isarel 13/10/09
      114.   Turtkey 20:04  |  Jhon 13/10/09
      115.   JHUN in Texas how about AL HUSSEINI befor Begin and the rest? 20:13  |  Big Sur 13/10/09
      116.   Muslim Turks can not kill civilians! 20:19  |  Fatih 13/10/09
      117.   To fatih #116 20:27  |  Yosi 13/10/09
      118.   Mark Lincoln 20:31  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/10/09
      119.   Faith in Istanbul 20:32  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      120.   #116 Fatih boy another gr8 Post 20:36  |  Big Sur (a gr8 place 13/10/09
      121.   Ok David Israel 20:41  |  mehmet 13/10/09
      122.   #118 Shalom Cipora. I still believe Turkey will come to realise 20:43  |  Big Sur 13/10/09
      123.   fatih - If so.... 20:45  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      124.   Mark! 20:49  |  Fatih 13/10/09
      125.   Bit Sur! 20:51  |  Fatih 13/10/09
      126.   Context Big Sur, Context on Gaza 20:54  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/10/09
      127.   Davi Israel 20:57  |  Fatih 13/10/09
      128.   Cipora Julianna Kohen on Obama`s Speech 20:59  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/10/09
      129.   Eric Hoffer was right 21:00  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      130.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 21:02  |  Eli 13/10/09
      131.   #42 Fatima Angelique.....and thanks to Islamic 21:03  |  Lynn 13/10/09
      132.   Faith - I did not and they did not 21:04  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      133.   #64 Attilla...I guess Hamas 21:06  |  Lynn 13/10/09
      134.   Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Uncle Sam 21:07  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      135.   Ok Mehmet here it is 21:08  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      136.   #126 YAAKOV, let`s really put this into context 21:10  |  Big Sur 13/10/09
      137.   Fatih - I Understand now 21:18  |  David Isarel 13/10/09
      138.   Fatih BTW my name is not Davi it is David 21:21  |  David Israel 13/10/09
      139.   #122, Big Sur 21:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/10/09
      140.   one should definitely question missed journalism and falsehoods 21:25  |  Big Sur 13/10/09
      141.   That is no justification Yaakov 21:25  |  Mark Lincoln 13/10/09
      142.   #129, Mark Lincoln 21:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/10/09
      143.   Mark lincoln # 129 _ Replace The Name Israel With The Name of Any 21:45  |  Eli 13/10/09
      144.   If Turkey truly cared for Gazan children 22:02  |  Gina 13/10/09
      145.   When the Islamic world condemns Islamic terrorists 22:03  |  Gina 13/10/09
      146.   REPORT admitts their "facts" NOT provable to criminal trial level 22:07  |  PETER SM 13/10/09
      147.   REPORT admitts their "facts" NOT provable to criminal trial level 22:07  |  PETER SM 13/10/09
      148.   even the Saudis 22:09  |  Chaphari 13/10/09
      149.   9~ Mark Lincoln "... under the influence of common sense..." 22:12  |  Akram Zekaria 13/10/09
      150.   as a turk 22:38  |  ali 13/10/09
      151.   #116 Fatih (and Mark Lincoln) 22:39  |  Der Zweifler 13/10/09
      152.   C`mon Yaakov Sullivan_#126 23:04  |  Eli 13/10/09
      153.   Haven`t we had enough of the crocodile tears? 23:07  |  massaraksh 13/10/09
      154.   The New Definition of Hutzpa 23:13  |  massaraksh 13/10/09
      155.   Mark Lincoln (#129): On Israel`s lost pragmatism. 23:58  |  flyingdoc57 13/10/09
      156.   #131 Gina 00:04  |  Welshman 14/10/09
      157.   #130 Eli, Israel`s problems are not common in this world 00:28  |  Mark B. 14/10/09
      158.   fatih 01:18  |  Mary 14/10/09
      159.   #75 Paul Freedman puts up the ol` straw man. 01:43  |  Johnboy 14/10/09
      160.   re 31 OK Atilla 02:34  |  ala the real one 14/10/09
      161.   131 Gina 02:40  |  Richard Pearce 14/10/09
      162.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 03:08  |  American in NY 14/10/09
      163.   Problem of asymmetric warfare hasn`t been solved yet by anyon 03:34  |  DJStahl 14/10/09
      164.   Re: lola 03:48  |  Joe 14/10/09
      165.   Protestations from Israeli right wingers aside 04:27  |  bob 14/10/09
      166.   advising Israel.......... 05:35  |  SRSabbah 14/10/09
      167.   David Israel regarding Turkey having only Muslim Presidents 05:52  |  ELIAS KHOURY 14/10/09
      168.   David Israel regarding Clinton`s last words to Arafat 05:56  |  ELIAS KHOURY 14/10/09
      169.   I am glad Turkey is seeing the light, only one condition 06:03  |  Palestinian Prince 14/10/09
      170.   it`s not faux, Gina, he is calling for more 06:30  |  Miron 14/10/09
      171.   Chafrles, #7 07:00  |  arieh zimmerman 14/10/09
      172.   Check up on why Israel bombed gaza 08:48  |  lily 14/10/09
      173.   The Israeli leadership fail to represent moral & legal rights 11:27  |  Dutch 14/10/09
      174.   The Turkish PM is right... 11:39  |  Dutch 14/10/09
      175.   ELIAS KHOURY - I am an American not Israeli 14:31  |  David Israel 14/10/09
      176.   Turkey & human rights 15:00  |  The Teacher/Instruct 14/10/09
      177.   Mark B. # 157 _ You Are Certainly Correct 16:14  |  Eli 14/10/09
      178.   #168 Elias Khoury 18:13  |  Der Zweifler 14/10/09
      179.   Look at Turkey`s recent actions vs. Kurds in Iraq, 2008 "Op Sun" 18:30  |  Paul O`Niall Mooney 14/10/09
      180.   Turkey In comparison to.....,,,, 19:28  |  The Teacher/Instruct 14/10/09
      181.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 03:45  |  American in NY 15/10/09
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