Turks blame US policy for blasts

The Age Australia/Reuters ^ | 11/23/2003 | Not Shown

[sunryse]

Turks blame US policy for blasts Istanbul November 23, 2003

Several thousand Turks gathered in Istanbul and other cities yesterday to condemn this week's suicide bombings, with many protesting against what they see as the root cause of the attacks - the United States.

Police in riot gear looked on in Turkey's business capital as unions, political parties and community groups peacefully joined those affected by the blasts to share their sadness and anger at the four attacks, which killed more than 50 people.

"Curse this terrorism, it killed my friend," said retired businessman Ismail Yildirim. "The imperialist powers are behind this, they are turning the Middle East into a bloodbath. They want to drag Turkey into it, but they will fail."

Pinned to his lapel was a photograph of a friend killed in last Saturday's suicide attack on the Neve Shalom synagogue.

Some in the crowd of several thousand held up Turkish flags and stood motionless in the bright winter sunshine for a minute of silent remembrance.

One group laid a wreath of red carnations at a monument in the square, below a statue of modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

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Nearby a leftist group chanted anti-American slogans, shouting: "Terrorist America, get out of the Middle East."

"We know who the murderers are," said a caption on one placard, below pictures of US President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Turkey is a close NATO ally of the United States, but many Turks believe US Middle East policies played an indirect role in provoking the Istanbul attacks.

Some in the crowd also suggested that US and other intelligence services were directly responsible.

"I believe these attacks carry the fingerprints of the CIA, Mossad and (Turkish intelligence service) MIT. They want to push Turkey and America closer together after recent tensions between them," said 22-year-old engineering student Mustafa Colak.

He pointed to strains in ties between Ankara and Washington after Turkey refused to allow the deployment of US troops on Turkish soil ahead of the Iraq war, and Ankara's recent decision to withdraw its offer of troops to help US forces there.

Among those gathered in Istanbul's Taksim Square were also some who saw the bombs as an attempt to undermine Turkey itself.

"The groups behind this don't want to see a powerful Turkey in the Middle East," said metal union official Mehmet Soyupek.

"Things were going well for Turkey, the economy is recovering, and they want to put a stop to that."

Several hundred people turned out for a similar protest in the capital, Ankara, and about a thousand in the western coastal city of Izmir. "Against violence and terror - Peace," said one Ankara banner.

"We are against all terrorism, all violence, all over the world," said retired banker Muge Gulses. "The USA supports terrorism. England and the USA and developed countries sell guns to underdeveloped countries... They only think about money."

In the Istanbul crowd was at least one casualty of Thursday's attack on the HSBC Bank building - Alper Tolga Akkus, 30, who had been near a window on the seventh floor.

He had a bandage above one eye and walked with a crutch but came to the protest to show the bombing would not cow him.

"The terrorists will not change my life," Akkus said. "They want us to be scared, but I will not be intimidated."

- Reuters

[sunryse]

Isn't EVERYTHING wrong in the world America's fault? (rolls eyes)

[Unam Sanctam]

Moral responsibility must in all cases be borne by the perpetrators of the act. Why do so many people in the Middle East have to invent elaborate conspiracy theories that fly in the fact of the simple truths of reality? A dream palace indeed.

[MEG33]

Bad headline...a few thousand communists and some others blame US.Imperialists is a tip off.

[Travis McGee]

Ping

[PoisedWoman]

This mindless Muslim anti-Americanism is making the average American hate them.

It seems that we're not going to get out of the ME without dropping major bombs on their crazy heads.

[Mariposaman]

The 49er's lost...must be Bush's fault!

[optimistically_conservative]

So, there are ten idiots in Turkey, Reuters found them to quote and then imply that a thousand protesting the terrorists might share their idiotic beliefs.

Surprising.

[eyespysomething]

"I believe these attacks carry the fingerprints of the CIA, Mossad and (Turkish intelligence service) MIT.

Its the Joooos again. And now they've gotten the Turkish intel agency to do their bidding!

< /sarcasm>

[speedy]

Yes, Reuters, being staffed by idiots, is naturally drawn to other idiots so they can quote them. This is like reading Izvestia back in the days of the USSR.

[GeekDejure]

Isn't EVERYTHING wrong in the world America's fault? (rolls eyes)

No. When my family made a somewhat noisy landing outside of Roswell, N.M. back in 1947 it had nothing to do with America. The Mother Ship merely miscalculated the gravity beam setting !!! ;-))

.

[EGPWS]

"Curse this terrorism, it killed my friend," said retired businessman Ismail Yildirim. "The imperialist powers are behind this, they are turning the Middle East into a bloodbath. They want to drag Turkey into it, but they will fail."

Yea, heaven forbid the idea that terrorists are the ones behind terrorist acts.

[a_Turk]

Turkish Communist Party members joined the protests in some cities and had signs saying "We Know Who The Killers Are," depicting Bush, Blair, Bin Laden, Sharon, etc.

It's like reading an article titled "America blames US for terror attacks."

Communists are atheists. This has nothing to do with the state, nor with Islam.

Here are the pictures of the Commies, notice: no flags:

---

But what's much more meaningful are people like these:

[Consort]

Why did you alter the title?

[dighton]

Turkey blames US for terror attacks

The source's headline reads, "Turks blame US policy for blasts."

As altered, the headline falsely suggests "government of Turkey."

[wimpycat]

I agree, it's a bad headline. It should read "Some Turks" instead of "Turkey". But then, I guess, the article wouldn't serve its intended purpose.

[a_Turk]

Now that really ticks me off..

What's your damned game sunrise?

[wimpycat]

Say, you're right. The FR title is different from the source title.

[freedom44]

This doesn't speak for Turks general population.

This was Turkeys 9/11.

[b4its2late]

Isn't EVERYTHING wrong in the world America's fault? (rolls eyes)

Yes. And we would love to see the Middle East turned into nothing but molten glass......

[a_Turk]

Sneaky Title Change complaint..

Why I ought to pull her ears..