Posted on 10/31/2009 12:39:39 PM PDT by Mount Athos
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that countries opposed to Iran's atomic program should give up their own nuclear weapons, and attacked as "arrogant" the sanctions imposed on Ankara's neighbor.
He also said he wanted the Middle East, and then the whole world, to rid itself of nuclear weapons.
During a trip to Iran this week, Erdogan said he backed Tehran's "right to peaceful nuclear energy" and called its approach in nuclear talks with Western powers "positive."
The trip added to Western concern that NATO's only Muslim member may be shifting its foreign-policy focus towards the Islamic world and turning its back on Western allies.
Iran says the sole aim of its nuclear program is to generate electricity, but Western powers suspect it of secretly planning to produce nuclear weapons and are trying to persuade it to stop enriching uranium.
"... those who criticize Iran's nuclear program continue to possess the same weapons," said Erdogan, according to an advance copy, carried by state-run Anatolian news agency, of a televised address he was scheduled to make at 8 p.m.
"I think that those who take this stance, who want these arrogant sanctions, need to first give these [weapons] up. We shared this opinion with our Iranian friends, our brothers."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad this week praised Erdogan for his "clear stance against" Israel.
Erdogan has tried to expand Turkey's influence in the Middle East and make it a regional power since his party, which traces it roots to an Islamist movement, took office in 2002.
Erdogan also reiterated previous remarks that Turkey and Iran have set themselves a target of more than tripling annual bilateral trade by 2011 to $30 billion.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
Key background info at:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372577/posts
A Look at Iran
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
#
Cartoon at link:
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/21494.htm
(”Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Lebanon, October 28, 2009”)
“Cartoon In Lebanese Daily: Turkish PM Erdogan And Iranian President Ahmadinejad”
(Posted October 30, 2009)
Yes, sadly they have.
Turkey, listen up!
Iran is a terrorist state. It trains, arms, and deploys terrorists to the nations around it. Give that some thought when you consider your own security.
Israel has had nukes for decades, without using them even in times of war.
Iran is clearly connected to Al Queda and the Taliban. Do you think those folks will cut you some slack as you stand up for your nation’s rights?
Wake the hell up.
Who will come to your rescue, the U.S. or Iran?
Think about it.
Kick them out of NATO, now!!!!!
No ally should ever take the part of an enemy.
Hopefully this latest insult will awaken even the last lingering pro-turk factions in the EU, and render their bid for membership, always contaminated anyway, DOA.
That’s OK, the US has done the same. Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama yesterday on being willing to “cooperate” with Iran.
Turkey wouldn’t be doing this if they didn’t think that the US was on Iran’s side now.
Let's play Mad-libs!
If you don't want deranged killers to have chainsaws give yours up.
See how the second sentence makes just as much sense as the first?
Yeah. I thought so.
I think that they’re right.
We should give up 20 or so warheads, via your choice of missile, delivered to Iran.
I’m not sure who paints the lines on the resulting parking lot, but I do know that if there has to be this type of action, there is much better than here.
I agree. They are too unreliable. Too much chance they will side with Muslims.
This is why America must be a Christian nation.
Time to impose sanctions against Turkey for Cypress.
Turkey has now thrown its lot in with the Islamists - is this the change we we’re waiting for?
Just as the Iranian regime is on the verge of revolution. The Turks have a long history of backing the wrong side.
Democracies can be trusted with nuclear weapons....all else need not apply.
Likelihood that the world is safer with a nuclear armed Israel 99.9999999999999%
Likelihood that the world is safer with a nuclear armed Iran 00.0000000000001%
It was written down about two thousand years ago that Turkey would join the other nations in the north and band together to war against Israel. So this is not surprising as to what Turkey has done. The only thing I see that keeps me reading about what is going on in the Middle East is that situations are happening faster and faster.
Their true colors come out blazing...
Why are they in NATO?
Turkey PM is right. He is a turkey.
We haven’t been threatening to blow countries off the map.
We got the message when they would not let our troops enter Iraq from their territory.
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