Cyprus-Forum.com

[Lit]

Turkish ambassador piles on Perry debate criticism but Perry is standing by his remarks.

From Politico:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-hab ... 11149.html

Rick Perry isn't making himself any friends among Turkish government officials today, in the wake of his debate comments. After a spokesman for the Turkish foreign ministry called Perry's comments "baseless," the Turkish ambassador to the United States released his own scathing statement:

I am disappointed and concerned that Turkey and its time-tested ties of alliance, partnership and friendship with the United States became the object of misplaced and ill-advised criticism during last night’s Republican candidates’ debate. Needless to say, the Turkey described in the debate simply does not exist.

Asked about the ambassador's comments in Florence, S.C., Perry stood by what he said in the debate last night.....

"I've been back to Turkey since the 1970s, so my point is when you see the number of actions against your citizens that we would consider to be terrorist acts, I stand by my statement. You need to be putting protections in place for your citizens if you're seeing those types of attacks against, particularly, well, particularly females, that is particularly heinous from my perspective. I respect his sovereign right to say that, but I respect my sovereign right to be critical of countries that treat their citizens that way. That is not the message that I think the Turkish people want to be sending across the country."

[humanist]

The dude has a point how can you be the NATO yet for 37 years you violate the human rights of so many people including the one's you call your own through your actions. He is right NATO should have the right to expell nations that act in contrast to NATO principles.

[repulsewarrior]

Anyone in the USA able to tell us a bit more about this chap? ... just asking

...as the Governor of Texas he has a man executed who was innocent, then tried to cover-up the "error" by assassinating the character of this poor soul.

...not as popular as Mitt the ripper, but a contender who purports to have a comprehensive knowledge of American Foreign Affairs.

Of little importance. Very little.
We're talking about politics. there is no justice in politics.
Any politician who defames and profanes the terrorist state should be heralded as a hero .
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Lets make no mistake about it.

i'm just stating facts. i don't care for Perry, it's true, and frankly i care about what the President of the US does more than what all the candidates will say during the campaign. they can sing in chorus to amuse us (and to win votes) but once elected which one will stick to their Principals, which will deny the Rule of Law?

[Kikapu]

Anyone in the USA able to tell us a bit more about this chap? ... just asking

He is another Governor from Texas, just like Bush was, and I'm afraid this guy is also a little bit "brain dead" as Bush was/is. He has made a fool of himself on previous presidential debates by being very forgetful on topics he wanted to talk about.

I think the question and answer regarding "Terrorist Islamist Turkey" was a contrived one and it was deliberate for Perry to score some political points against Obama, by him having too much of a close relationship with Islamist Erdogan. It was an attempt, I feel, was to show that Obama was still 'palling around with terrorists' which Obama was accused of by Sarah Palin during the 2008 elections.

Perry has no chance of winning the 2012 Presidential elections, but he may be laying the ground-works for 2016 presidential elections.

All enemies of Israel are enemies of most Republicans also.

Sarah Palin: Barack Obama 'palling around with terrorists'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... links.html

[wyoming cowboy]

it means something, a prez candidate doesnt just say what he said with out someone behind him putting this in his ears, and the question asked was significant also, Yeah turkey threatened Israel but why bring Cyprus in on this...The significance goes back to a couple of years ago when the pope visited cyprus, the same week that a prominent cardinal was murdered in south turkey. Catholics all over the world were being told one of their bishops was murdered by a muslim in turkey, while the pope was visiting Cyprus a country with christian significance and brutally divided by muslim Turkey, and then oil/gas discoveries off the coast of cyprus, and israel is being threatened by this same muslim turkey.....how can anyone say that things arent changing

[Hermes]

He is another Governor from Texas, just like Bush was, and I'm afraid this guy is also a little bit "brain damaged" as Bush was/is. He has made a fool of himself on previous presidential debates by being very forgetful on topics he wanted to talk about.

While this may be true, he has played into a growing perception about Turkey not as a beacon of democracy in the Middle East but as an Anatolian backwater. Perry pointed out the high number of women who have been murdered, worsening press freedom and deteriorating relations with Israel and threats against Cyprus. This surely can't be the image of Turkey abroad that Davutoglu had in mind. But there it is. Perception counts and I'm afraid the AKP's actions are largely to blame for this perception. Not that I'm complaining...

[Kikapu]

He is another Governor from Texas, just like Bush was, and I'm afraid this guy is also a little bit "brain damaged" as Bush was/is. He has made a fool of himself on previous presidential debates by being very forgetful on topics he wanted to talk about.

While this may be true, he has played into a growing perception about Turkey not as a beacon of democracy in the Middle East but as an Anatolian backwater. Perry pointed out the high number of women who have been murdered, worsening press freedom and deteriorating relations with Israel and threats against Cyprus. This surely can't be the image of Turkey abroad that Davutoglu had in mind. But there it is. Perception counts and I'm afraid the AKP's actions are largely to blame for this perception. Not that I'm complaining...

Erdogan and Davutoglu has been Turkey's worse enemies as of late with their ill conceived foreign policies. Americans in general have grown very cold towards Turkey since 2003, with the refusal to allow the US to open a northern front in Iraq which may have cost many American soldiers lives. Since then, these two have made things worse for Turkey, which is not all bad, because Cyprus becomes the net benefactor from these two's screw-ups. The more Turkey is seen as being an "Islamist terrorist country", the easier it will be to partition Iraq and Turkey along the way by creating the Greater Kurdistan, which where the American base will be along with the recently deployed missile defence system. While Erdogan and Davutoglu may be looking ways to partition Cyprus, they may find the same happening in their own backyard soon. As for Turkey's role as a NATO member, Turkey should have been kicked out long time ago. NATO should have members which value the principles of Democracy, Human Rights and International law, which Turkey values does non of those principles.

[repulsewarrior]

...all the more reason to define bicommunal in a manner which can identify National Assemblies within a State. If Iraq can be partitioned, and the notion considered practical, what prevents Cyprus from the same fate.

...your premise is only realistic after an all out war where the victors are "us", and the punishment on "them" seems fitting. Cyprus in this context is just an island, and to the interlocutors, of little consequence.

[Hermes]

Erdogan and Davutoglu has been Turkey's worse enemies as of late with their ill conceived foreign policies.

A diplomacy that does not provide security
This positioning of Turkey contradicts with the foreign policy principles that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu mentions frequently. I don’t believe it was his intention to make things more perilous for Turkey, but overambitious and miscalculated moves in the always-restive Middle East have played into the hands of those who want to create more instability in the region. One of the classic definitions of diplomacy is “the skill in handling international affairs for the self-interest of the country without arousing hostility.” If Turkish diplomacy is failing to achieve this, then one wonders what purpose it serves.

See here: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/a-dipl ... sCatID=429

[Lit]

Hey yall, here now our mo quotes from our Guvnaah

Gov. Rick Perry tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer he is standing by comments that Turkey is run by Islamic terrorists.

"That (Turkey) is not a country that America wants to associate with"

"This a country that is becoming more and more aggressive"

"This is a country that has some explaining to do to the United States"