As a polish american I have to say thank you to the Prime Minister of Turkey to express the World Solidarity.
Erdogan storms out of WEF over Gaza
Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:19:49 GMT
Erdogan criticized the audience of international officials and corporate chiefs for applauding Peres' emotional defense of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of a Davos forum after a heated debate with Israel's President Shimon Peres and slamming moderator David Ignatius.
Erdogan walked off in front of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other panel members complaining that his comments on the conflict were cut short by the Washington Post's moderator David Ignatius.
The Turkish premier noted to reporters following the incident that he was treated unfairly by the moderator who allowed him only 12 minutes to make his points while giving Peres a full 25 minutes to deliver an impassioned defense of Israel's 22-day offensive that devastated Gaza. Arab League chief, Egypt's Amr Moussa rose to shake his hand as the prime minister made his exit.
"I do not think I will be coming back to Davos after this because you do not let me speak," the prime minister shouted as he left, though he said later he could reconsider.
Erdogan criticized the audience of international officials and corporate chiefs for applauding Peres' emotional defense of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, which left more than 1,300 Palestinians dead.
Erdogan, who leads one of the few Muslim countries to have diplomatic ties with Israel and who has sought a peacemaker's role in the Middle East conflict, said Israel had carried out "barbaric" actions in Gaza.
"I find it very sad that people applaud what you have said because many people have been killed," he shouted at Peres before being cut off by Ignatius.
Erdogan and Peres spoke by telephone after the debate and the 85-year-old Israeli president apologized for the events, Turkey's Anatolia news agency reported.
Dear friends from Turkey and Turkish Embassy in Washington DC.
As a polish american I have to say thank you to the Prime Minister of Turkey to express the World Solidarity.
Tayyip Erdogan you a true hero of the free world.
Thank you.
Poland was benefiting from Turkish solidarity throughout the 19th and 20th century.
So you may count on us Polish Community in US and people in Poland since we do know how important it is.
As the Polish Embassy booklet published for the occasion mentions, "following the events and war of 1831, the 1848 Hungarian revolt, the Crimean War and the 1863 rebellion, Polish army soldiers who were left without a country found refuge and welcome in the Ottoman Empire, accorded to them by the sultan.” Moreover, as President Demirel reminded his audience, the Ottoman Empire did not recognize the partition of Poland by its enemies like Austria, Russia and Prussia, and these acts of friendship were never forgotten by the Polish people.
The first Poles who fled to the Ottoman Empire were the Crimean Tartars in 1831 after having fought with the Russians in the Crimea. The Ottoman Empire and Poland were geographic neighbors, and as the erudite Mr. Demirel recalled, the sultan refused Austrian pressure to return the rebellious Poles to Austria, the sultan categorically retorting, "It is either the Poles who have taken refuge in our midst or my throne."
They were settled in a barren and hilly site called Adampol, as a tribute to Prince Adam, near Istanbul, which later came to be called Polonezköy. For the past 160 years these Poles have tilled the land and made a living through agriculture and husbandry but freely maintained their Polish culture and traditions
In 1989 Lech Walesa and Polish Solidarity movement previously impossible dreams were coming true. Symbolized the new developments in the history of our country - optimism, which resulted from the fact that the Polish people took responsibility for their country and took its matters into their own hands.
