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| Europe |
| Erdogan vows to fight anti-Semitism in Turkey |
| 2009-02-04 |
| Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that criticism of Israel's offensive in Gaza should not be regarded as anti-Semitism, even as his country's small Jewish community looked to police and lawmakers for protection. Last week, Erdogan publicly scolded President Shimon Peres over casualties among Palestinian civilians and walked off a stage during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Many Turks hailed him as a hero. But the Turkish government, which has been an important Israeli ally in the Muslim world, is campaigning hard to reassure its Jewish citizens that they are safe. "There has been no anti-Semitism in the history of this country," Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers. "As a minority, they're our citizens. Both their security and the right to observe their faith are under our guarantee." There are 23,000 Jews in the predominantly Muslim country of more than 70 million. Most live in Istanbul, and many have prominent roles in banking and education. Their ancestors arrived five centuries ago, and a recent comment by the prime minister that the Ottoman Empire welcomed Jews bothers some today who feel they are viewed as guests, not citizens. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 See also STRATFOR > THE LONG-TERM GROWTH OF TURKISH POWER IS INEVITABLE. IRAN may have issues wid this. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-02-04 22:43 |
| #6 I'm not sure who deserves the most credit for the Civil Rights Act but LBJ needed support for his Vietnam War effort and the only way he could get it from the Republicans and Liberals was to support and push passage of the Civil Rights Act. Just my $0.02. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2009-02-04 18:55 |
| #5 You are wrong on this one NS. LBJ broke arms in the Southern Senate Leadership while Majority Leader.... leading the way towards 1965. He neutered the good ole bulls from the south. Spessard Holland had more to do with passing the Act that Everrett Dirkson ever did. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-02-04 09:44 |
| #4 Everett Dirkson was critical in getting the Civil Rights legislation passed, not LBJ. The donk Klansmen were far from supporting it. But Barry Goldwater was right in his reservations and the overly coercive aspects of the legislation have now redounded to the detriment of minorities achieving actual equality and assimilation because they broke the bonds of civil society. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-02-04 09:33 |
| #3 LBJ would have made an awesome Prime Minister. My favorite LBJ quote: "That MotherF***** couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel" |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-02-04 09:22 |
| #2 Well, LBJ was a profane individual who in private company could cop the 'n' word not only as a pronoun but also as an adjectival descriptive concerning some noted and famous Americans. However, LBJ was also one of the last presidents who could not only bend an arm or two, but could politically break them as well and was critical in getting the both the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts passed in the mid-60s. So, as they say - watch what the man does, not what he says. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-02-04 08:59 |
| #1 The gentleman clearly has a problem with dictionary definitions... were he not due honour and respect as president of his country, one might even say he is a liar. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-02-04 00:44 |