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ANKARA: Do Not Discriminate, Gul

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  • ANKARA: Do Not Discriminate, Gul

    DO NOT DISCRIMINATE, GUL

    Hurriyet
    Feb 4 2009
    Turkey

    ANKARA - President Abdullah Gul warned the public not to turn the
    criticism of Israeli policy in Gaza into an anti-Semitic campaign
    and called for respect for Turkey's Jewish citizens.

    "I am addressing all my citizens from here. Do not
    discriminate. Everyone has equal rights." Gul said to reporters
    yesterday before departing for Saudi Arabia.

    "Turkish Jews are equal citizens of Turkey. They can be elected
    lawmakers and president. There cannot be a stance taken against them,"
    he said and then repeated the statements made by the prime minister who
    said his criticism targeted the Israeli policy in Gaza, not the Jews.

    "Citizenship is the essence of our Constitution. In every society,
    there might be those who make mistakes but they should be warned,"
    Gul said.

    In response to a question about bilateral ties with Israel, Gul said,
    without elaborating, that the statements made by both Israeli and
    Turkish officials were clear and warned that speculations should not
    be given attention. After Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's heated
    confrontation with the Israeli president at a Davos panel last week,
    Israeli officials called for calm and Turkey's government spokesman
    Cemil Cicek said Ankara wants to preserve ties with Tel-Aviv.

    The president also answered the comments made after the government's
    strong rhetoric against Israel that Turkey lost its credibility as an
    honest peace broker in solving regional conflicts. "Why should Turkey
    be concerned? Turkey is not benefiting from mediation. If there is
    a problem, the parties in the dispute will lose," he said.

    Gul also defended Turkey's policy of recognizing Hamas as a legitimate
    interlocutor. "Hamas must be involved in the political process. Some
    say this openly and some during our private meetings. Turkey has
    acted responsibly from the very beginning, met with Hamas on the
    days when they won the elections (in 2006) and warned them about the
    consequences when they resorted to the wrong paths," he said.

    Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, who held an almost
    one-hour meeting with Erdogan yesterday, said they discussed Middle
    East peace. Speaking to reporters in Turkish following the meeting,
    Jeffrey said Turkey and the United States were two strong democracies
    and allies. When asked about concerns that the Jewish lobby in the
    United States may not support Turkey if the alleged Armenian genocide
    bill is discussed in the Senate, he said the United States had good
    relations with Turkey, adding that the two were working together
    despite occasional problems.

    When asked if there is hope for a solution in Gaza, he said; "There is
    hope. That's why (U.S. special envoy for Middle East) George Mitchell
    visited the region. But this is an important issue so we're in constant
    contact with both Turkey and the countries in the region."
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