PM Erdoğan wins praise at home, in Gaza
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received a hero's welcome yesterday upon his return to İstanbul from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos after his public spat with Israeli President Shimon Peres over Israel's Gaza offensive.
Erdoğan angrily left a debate at the WEF in Switzerland on Thursday after telling Peres, "You killed people." Erdoğan and Peres raised their voices and traded accusations.
Approximately 5,000 people gathered at the İstanbul Atatürk Airport around 2 a.m. on Friday to greet Erdoğan when he returned from the gathering of business and political leaders, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting “Turkey is proud of you.” Other banners said “Delegate of the oppressed” and “Let the world see a true prime minister.”
Turkish TV stations broadcast the prime minister’s arrival and the crowd waiting for him. CNN Türk said extra buses were added to routes so more people could turn out to welcome him.
“Our people would have expected the same reaction from any Turkish prime minister,” Erdoğan said at a press conference at the airport on Friday morning after speaking to the crowd.
The Turkish public continued its passionate support of Erdoğan following Friday prayers in İstanbul. Prime Minister Erdoğan was hailed with slogans of praise by thousands of people who were in and around the Büyük Piyalepaşa Mosque. The crowd waited for the prime minister to complete his prayers at noon and when Erdoğan came out of the mosque, they shouted “Turkey is proud of you.”
Erdoğan also won praise from Gazans. In the Gazan refugee camp of Jebaliya, Turkish flags now decorate the ruins of a local mosque that was destroyed during Israel’s war against Gaza’s Hamas government.
A preacher told worshippers at an outdoor service on Friday that Erdoğan had “raised the head of the Islamic nation.” Jalal Bin Yousef al-Sharifi called on other Muslim leaders to do the same.
Later on Friday, a smaller crowd of about 1,500 people applauded Erdoğan as he inaugurated a subway station in İstanbul. They also chanted “Turkey is proud of you.”
Peres had launched a fiery defense of his country’s offensive in Gaza over the past month, and with a raised voice and pointed finger questioned what Erdoğan would do if rockets were fired at İstanbul every night.
“When it comes to killing, you know very well how to kill,” Erdoğan, visibly angry, responded as he sat next to Peres in the debate, which also included United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.
At a press conference in Davos following Erdoğan’s walkout and again in İstanbul, Erdoğan said Turkey’s reproaches were not against the Israeli people or Jews but against the Israeli administration.
Palestinians wave Turkish flags during a rally in Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday. Turkish flags decorate the ruins of a local mosque that was destroyed during Israel’s war against Gaza’s Hamas government.
“There has been a feeling among Arabs and those in the Middle East that someone needs to speak out in this way against Israel. Erdoğan did this,” Fuat Keyman, an international relations professor at Koç University, said in comments on NTV.
Turkey harshly criticized Israel over its Gaza offensive in which Israeli forces killed more than 1,300 Palestinians. Israel lost 11 soldiers and three civilians.
Erdoğan’s stance shocked Israel and has been interpreted by some as an attempt to increase his support ahead of local elections in March with an electorate deeply sympathetic to the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, some in the opposition in Turkey hailed Erdoğan for his stance while others were critical of him. Felicity Party (SP) leader Numan Kurtulmuş said Erdoğan had improved Turkey’s standing with his stance in Davos. He added that if Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) adopts this stance in its diplomatic approach as well, the SP will support the government “to the end.”
On the other hand, former ambassador and Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Onur Öymen accused Erdoğan of being a Hamas spokesman. On a live NTV appearance yesterday Öymen added that Erdoğan harmed Turkey’s image because he defended an organization that has chosen violence as a method. Öymen further said Turkey had lost its chance to be a regional mediator for peace.
Deniz Bölükbaşı, a former ambassador and a deputy of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said, “Heroism isn’t achieved through leaving that stage but by taking Peres off of the stage.”
31 January 2009, Saturday
Source: TODAY’S ZAMAN İSTANBUL
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