- ANKARA - Israel is not contributing
to the peace process, is killing women and children indiscriminately and
destroying Palestinian houses, and there is no way to describe such actions
except as "state terrorism," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said in an exclusive interview with Haaretz.
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- It was his first interview with a member of the Israeli
media following growing tensions in bilateral relations between the two
countries, sparked by Israel Defense Forces operations in Rafah.
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- The interview in Erdogan's office here comes a week after
the Turkish prime minister met with Infrastructure Minister Joseph Paritzky
and asked him: What is the difference between terrorists who kill Israeli
civilians, and Israel, which also kills civilians?
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- Turkey and Israel are bound by strong and ongoing relations.
In your view, has there been a recent change in attitude on the Turkish
side, or by the Turkish government, with regard to Israel?
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- First of all, regarding our relations with Israel, they
must be understood on several different fronts. One is the relationship
between the governments, and the other is between the peoples. And another
way of looking at our relations would be through our political, economic,
trade and social ties.
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- When we look at relations on the level of the peoples,
we cannot even conceive of any problems. As far as the Turkish side is
concerned, there are no problems here. It isn't even on our agenda. There
might be different evaluations by some individuals or some marginal groups,
but as far as the Turkish government is concerned, our view with regard
to the people of Israel is very objective.
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- But at the level of the government, we are in favor of
the peace process being regenerated, and the government of Israel has not
contributed to our efforts to do so. Why am I saying this? I would have
wished that a government, a cabinet, would not decide to carry out an assassination,
because governments should never put aside the law.
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- You have recently defined three kinds of terrorist activities:
Personal terrorism, institutional terrorism and state terrorism. Do you
think that Israel is practicing a form of 'state terrorism?'
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- I'll be very sincere and open in sharing my observations
with you. When you look at the structure of what has happened, how else
can you interpret it?
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- Do you think that there is a fourth way of looking at
terrorism - that there are countries that support institutions or individuals
who are terrorists?
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- Of course I can.
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- You recently met with quite a few Middle East heads of
state, and several Arab leaders have visited Ankara. Maintaining close
relations with Israel puts Turkey in a unique position in our region. How
do you view the actual Turkish position in the Middle East?
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- Historically, we have played an important role in the
Middle East. There was a period of cold relations for a while, there was
a gap in the relations. We have closed that gap.
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- While doing so, we wanted to act as a mediator for peace
in the Middle East, to serve as mediator between Israel and the other countries
of the Middle East. We brought this up in every meeting we had. I hope
to be able to continue in this.
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- According to news reports we've heard today, you are
going on a first visit to Iran at the end of the month. Are you considering
a visit to Israel, as you promised a few months ago, or will you invite
Prime Minister Sharon to Ankara?
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- I had a meeting with your minister of energy [Infrastructure
Minister Paritzky] and explained to him what I had in mind in regard to
this visit. Regarding my visit to Iran, all the ministers involved have
already visited there, and the Iranians have also sent their counterparts
here. So it became a process in which I had to find time to visit there
myself.
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- My counterpart, Iran's first vice-president who serves
as their prime minister, has visited here and I haven't reciprocated his
invitation until now. It is only correct to analyze these relations symmetrically,
be it with Iran or Israel.
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- But I was in the midst of planning to send my foreign
minister to Israel and Palestine [sic] when all these incidents occurred.
According to the plans, my visit should have taken place after my foreign
minister's visit to Israel. We don't have a problem in terms of going [there]
or receiving [Israeli] guests.
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- So are we going to be honored with your visit sometime
in the near future?
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- First we need to rearrange my foreign minister's visit,
and then we can plan the next steps. After all, the president of Israel
came and was our guest here. As far as Turkey is concerned, we do not have
a problem with this issue.
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- The special relations between Israel and Turkey are unique
in another sense - the close relations between the Jewish state and one
of the greatest Islamic states are, and should be, a model for the way
in which common ground can bridge over differences and diversities. Do
you think that these relations will survive the actual crisis?
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- If the parties are sincere, yes. The relations are strong
enough to overcome the difficulties. We should never forget this. Our forefathers,
at their strongest time in history, opened up their hearts to the Jews
who had been driven out of Spain at the time of the Inquisition and opened
up their hearts and homes to the Jews. Jews were the victims at that time.
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- Today, the Palestinians are the victims, and unfortunately
the people of Israel are treating the Palestinians as they were treated
500 years ago. Bombing people - civilians - from helicopters, killing people
without any considerations - children, women, the elderly - razing their
buildings using bulldozers. When I explained all this to your minister
of energy, his response was 'only a friend can be this sincere and talk
this openly.'
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- You see, both history and geography force us to speak
out on this matter. When we get to the roots of our mutual history and
when we analyze the geography, we have to be honest with each other and
talk about our concerns. There was a terrorist attack in Turkey on the
15th of November.
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- I took all the relevant ministers with me, and we personally
visited the chief rabbi of this country, just as I visited all the injured
Jewish citizens of my country - one by one - in their hospital beds. Because
I could not have discriminated against them. They are all my citizens,
the Muslims and the Jews and everyone else. I am the prime minister of
all of them, not only of the Muslims. I was the first prime minister who
ever visited the chief rabbi in the history of Turkey.
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- How, in your view, can a country protect itself from
terrorism?
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- It is not the problem of only one country. Terrorism
is an international phenomenon. We have to establish a joint plan to fight
terrorism. The intelligence agencies of various countries should be in
real cooperation with each other. If a mutual platform to fight terrorism
can be established, we can achieve some results.
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- But while doing so we must never forget one thing: We
have to take on this challenge, fight this struggle, within the framework
of human rights and the supremacy of the law. Saying `I am the strong one,
so I can name anyone I want as a terrorist and anyone I want as a criminal
and just kill them and go' - that mentality is wrong.
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- We have to be in solidarity if we want to serve global
peace. We have to go hand in hand; humanity does not want to see anymore
bloodshed or death. All those responsible [for the bloodshed] are losing
their credibility with every passing day. You must have followed at least
as much as I did what kind of reactions the pictures of the abuse in Abu
Ghraib prison received...
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- I would like to send 'Shalom' to all the citizens of
Israel, especially the ones who have emigrated from Turkey.
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- http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/434975.html
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