26/10/2009
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday in an interview with the British newspaper “The Guardian” that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to use nuclear weapons against Gaza.
The comments
came amid a crisis in ties between the two allies, which erupted earlier in the month after Tukkey banned Israel from participating in a NATO air force drill. The crisis was deepened tw0 weeks ago, when Ankara refused to take off the air a television drama that depicts Israeli occupation soldiers killing Palestinian children.
In the interview, the Turkish leader also stressed that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a "friend" of Turkey's.
came amid a crisis in ties between the two allies, which erupted earlier in the month after Tukkey banned Israel from participating in a NATO air force drill. The crisis was deepened tw0 weeks ago, when Ankara refused to take off the air a television drama that depicts Israeli occupation soldiers killing Palestinian children.In the interview, the Turkish leader also stressed that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a "friend" of Turkey's.
"There is no doubt he is our friend," Erdogan was quoted as saying. "As a friend so far we have very good relations and have had no difficulty at all."
He reportedly rejected on Western accusations that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon, saying: "Iran does not accept it is building a weapon. They are working on nuclear power for the purposes of energy only."
Despite his heavy criticism of Israel, Erdogan was not worried that Turkey's relations with the US would be damaged. "I don't think there is any possibility of that. America's policy in this region is not dictated by Israel," he said.
Erdogan also criticized Europe's reluctance to accept Turkey into the EU.
"Among leaders in Europe there are those who have prejudices against Turkey, like France and Germany…It is an unfair attitude. The European Union is violating its own rules," he said. "Being in the European Union we would be building bridges between the 1.5 billion people of Muslim world to the non-Muslim world. They have to see this. If they ignore it, it brings weakness to the EU."
He reportedly rejected on Western accusations that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon, saying: "Iran does not accept it is building a weapon. They are working on nuclear power for the purposes of energy only."
Despite his heavy criticism of Israel, Erdogan was not worried that Turkey's relations with the US would be damaged. "I don't think there is any possibility of that. America's policy in this region is not dictated by Israel," he said.
Erdogan also criticized Europe's reluctance to accept Turkey into the EU.
"Among leaders in Europe there are those who have prejudices against Turkey, like France and Germany…It is an unfair attitude. The European Union is violating its own rules," he said. "Being in the European Union we would be building bridges between the 1.5 billion people of Muslim world to the non-Muslim world. They have to see this. If they ignore it, it brings weakness to the EU."
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