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Gates: Turkey 'pushed eastward' by Europe
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Published: 09.06.10, 14:33
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22 Talkbacks for this article
1. A bit late don't you think
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (06.09.10)
Obama and Clinton have been inciting the world against Israel while ignoring increasing Iranian power. Clinton made a special visit to Damascus honoring Iranian ally and corrupt murderer Assad while ignoring the Turks. Now Gates starts worrying?
2. blaming Europe?
sultana ,   colombia   (06.09.10)
What a lack of understanding: the Turkish people waited for an Islamist to get away from Ataturk's legacy....
3. yes of course its europes fault!! hehehe funny guy
(06.09.10)
4. Gates-Turkey-Europe
George Brown ,   New York   (06.09.10)
Gates is wrong: The conflict between secularists (modernization proponenets as they were called in Ottoman times) in Turkey/Ottoman Empire dates back at least to1699. The Muslim expremists alway had the upper hand until the 20th Century. Now the Islamists are taking their country back. Never forget the Armenian genocide committed by Turks.
5. Israel = threat to ME stability
Paco ,   Canada   (06.09.10)
I mean by now even a 6 years old kid can point out that the main threat to the ME has been Israel. Its funny the israeli propanganda trashy news that get posted here accusing Turkey of destabilizing the region... bcse before Turkey, it was Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Palestine who were destabilizing it... Thats a LOT Hell of countries. There is only ONE country guilty unfortunately (and not 5), and its Israel.
6. Turkish secularism is dead, long live islamism
Nora Tel Aviv   (06.09.10)
True, Europe had second thoughts about Turkey`s acceptance to the EU. True, those thoughts proved to be realistic. True, eighty percent of the Turks yearn for an Islamic Turkish State. True, it is too late now to turn back the Turkish clock to secularism. Unless....the army there...resuscitates.
7. Oh yeah, right; it's the flotilla raid that did it!
Michael Steiner ,   Bahrain   (06.09.10)
Loo, Turkey is a third-world country with third-world problems. The ONLY reason it remained relatively stable so far is that it hoped to accede to the European Union. It's very clear that is not going to happen for decades to come, if even then. The internal problems are forcing Erdogan to manufacture an external crisis and the lack of a Western perspective (such as joining the E.U.) is forcing the Turks to look elsewhere. This is only happening now because the economic situation has worsened rapidly. Turkey should be kicked out of N.A.T.O. pronto and let become one of the dime-a-dozen pisspoor failed Islamist states.
8. Turkey's army
Duchess   (06.09.10)
needs to kick his- you -know -what out of office and to high hell.
9. Sell-by dates
Ehoop ,   UK   (06.09.10)
The current Turkish government made sure that relations between it and Israel broke down a long time before the flotilla incident. For very understandable reasons, Israel's government refused to accept what was clear to everyone else. Now Istanbul has been exposed as a terrorism supporter, that will be harder to do. Let's hope Erdogan's time in office doesn't last beyond the next election.
10. Look's like Obamas visit to Turkey didn't do much
(06.09.10)
Turkey was one of the first country Obama visited.
11. Obama's "shift" did it
Robert ,   USA   (06.09.10)
Obama's "shift" away from supporting Israel has forced countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan to realign themselves so that they don't appear to be enemies of Iran, who under Obama's foolish policy of friendly dialogue will emerge as the new Middle East superpower unless Israel intervenes. Under Erdogan however, Turkey may has gone "east" regardless of what the US does -- Obama's policies have just made Turkey's move easier and faster.
12. Gates can't see the elephant in the room.
Terry ,   Eilat - Israel   (06.09.10)
That's because he has intellectual blinkers on. Many of our own politicians wear the same blinkers, they just can't face reality, especially of the politically incorrect variety. Even idiots have noticed a problem called Islam. Gates can't figure out that because Turkey has an Islamist gov't., Turkey has completely changed it's orientation. Gates is pretty much a bureaucratic yes-man so who knows what he really thinks. He only reflects the stupidity of his boss, Gates has never had an original thought in his life. Well, Mr Gates, anyone with any common sense knew this would happen as soon as an Islamic party came to power. The only people who didn't see it were the ''experts'' & politicians, including many of our own. I read an article on this same subject just this morning. The punch line of the article was, ''We are governed by imbeciles.''
13. gates is bonkers
bik   (06.09.10)
gates has become infected by his muslim boss. now that europe is realizing that arabs and turks are the cancer that will kill europe you have know nothings representing islams worldwide leader in the white house trying to dismantle the western world. gates could show that he understands the dangers of islam and its desire to kill off the west. of course he would be fired, but the world would appreciate that there are some that know the ways of the world. instead he is proving that he knows nothing or he has become part of the ploy to dismantle america and europe. he is part of the effort to dismantle israel. with some luck his boss will not continue to interfer with american elections in his effort to take over the world.
14. #5
Madeleine ,   Israel   (06.09.10)
Israel is the ONLY democracy in the Middle East and guess what? We don't like it when our neighbours have declared that their only aim is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth (Hamas charter). Therefore, we will do everything in our power to defend ourselves and won't roll over and allow you or anyone else to destroy us. You don't have an earthly clue about the history, politics or reality of the Middle East.
15. What, not Israel's fault, not even a little,
Genuine Moshe   (06.09.10)
Mr. Secretary please compose yourself, you are an embarrassment to the Obama's administration
16. to nr.12-terry-eilat-israel.
sjoerd van der velde ,   hoorn-the netherland   (06.09.10)
if we are governed by imbeciles then better we can govern ourselves. even worse, worst is not possible then.!
17. Gates and his worries reTurkey
DT ,   TA Israel   (06.09.10)
Serves the US right for being weak , indecisive .
18. turkey=iran
edy burak ,   miami , US   (06.09.10)
its late also Mr Erdogan is cleaning the army ... the jews should leave Turkey soon
19. Go (W)east...
Addi   (06.09.10)
Barukh hashem that Turkey isn't part of the EU, and if it finds now pushed eastward is because that's its way. Now body pushed Turkey away, Turkey its self has chose this route. !
20. Pushing Turkey
Helder Vieira ,   Porto, Portugal   (06.09.10)
In fact, in what seems to me the most serious european strategic error since WWI, the EU played a regrettable game with Turkey for many years, in fact saying 'this is a christian club, forget membership'. It was not a surprise, then, to watch Turkey slowly moving to other projects. In the end, the EU is the big loser.
21. ridiculous: whe erdoga was elected this was bound to happen
bernard ross ,   st ans bay jamaica   (06.10.10)
gates is a fool who needs an optometrist and a new brain. He has intelligence networks but is unable to see the obvious trend. this has nothing to do with anyone but erdogan and the turks moving towards islamism.
22. fail of capitalism
CHoc Donut ,   Portland, OR   (06.10.10)
Jefferson and I assume Ataturk knew that you take on religion through education and economic equality. Ataturk's successors were not the leader he was. The elites in Turkey rested on their wealth and did little for the millions under them, so this is what they get decades later, infiltration by Islam, a particularly nasty disease if not addressed and monitored. Maybe Turkey can invent democratic islam, but that's wishful thinking. If not the balance in the ME is going to be different.
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