Wolfowitz Salutes Ataturk

Dept of Defense ^ | 7/16/02 | Linda D. Kozaryn

[demlosers]

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz today salutes Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic, as a model for the future.

Butt kissing to secure the Northern invasion route to Iraq. And maybe get the Turks to come along for the invasion.

[weikel]

ping

[Hans]

Well said, Secretary Wolfowitz. What a grand bunch these Bush men are.

[CecilRhodesGhost]

Wolfowitz is a leading Iraq-attack advocate in Bush's team. Because there is stale EU and Saudi reaction to this team's plan to attack Iraq, Wolfowitz is working another avenue by cuddling up to the Turks.

[weikel]

Ataturk is the reason Turkey ain't a basket case like the rest of the islamicloser world.

[demlosers]

No argument from me. I see this visit by Wolfowitz as ensuring Turkey's support for an Iraqi invasion.

[Hipixs]

Butt kissing to secure the Northern invasion route to Iraq.

Wolfowitz is hardly a johnny-come-lately to Turkey. He has been actively involved for over 1/4 century:

From: Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (Transcript)

"Thank you very much, Ambassador Sanberk, for those very warm introductory remarks. I recall that it was perhaps 26 years ago, when I first came to Turkey, and I have been very interested in your country, and the relationship between the United States and Turkey, over what is by now more than a quarter of a century. I believe very strongly in that partnership. I had the pleasure more than a decade ago of meeting Ambassador Sanberk, and working with him. He is one of the finest diplomats that I’ve had the experience of working with and it is a great pleasure to be back here and to see you again. And thank you for giving me this opportunity to address a Turkish audience. I would prefer, though, if you would let them give me some easy questions, and I’ll give you the hard questions."

[a_Turk]

He assumed the surname "Ataturk,"

Nope, he was given that name.

[a_Turk]

Butt kissing

No, most all visiting dignitaries, especially those from the west, visit the tomb, lay a wreath, and sign the guestbook.

[a_Turk]

No visit and coddling by any dignitary can "ensure" Turkish "cooperation" in a war against Iraq. We've played this game for thousands of years pal, money talks and bullshit walks. We can always marginally support "your" war on terror in the same fashion as you supported ours. Reading your uppedy words, I wonder why we shouldn't.

[Britton J Wingfield]

Ataturk is saluted because he deserves to be. He should be emulated by leaders all over central Asia.

[Consort]

Ataturk atta boy.

[Poohbah]

OK, let's put it this way:

Y'all can have Mosul province back if y'all help. That oil ought to be a nice little plus-up for Turkey's economy...

[demlosers]

Wolfowitz is hardly a johnny-come-lately to Turkey. He has been actively involved for over 1/4 century:...

Again, no argument from me. I should have used a nicer word or term like "diplomatic persuasion." A tipoff to Wolfowitz's diplomatic mission was him to publically state this:

Wolfowitz affirmed U.S. opposition to establishing a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. "Turkey has very large and legitimate interests in whatever happens in Iraq," he said.

Wolfowitz made sure he alleviated any fears that the U.S. is seeking a Kurdish state. We all know that’s a Turkish touchy issue.

[a_Turk]

LOL! Yeah, I wasn't asking for a check. We've lost almost a hundred billion bucks since desert storm and the Iraq sanctions that followed, so this new action has to be based on pretty convincing strategies and objectives. No more loss of political will (lhop), and none of that "It's the economy, stupid" thing. A hundred billion dollars lost, that's the sort of thing that contributes to economic hardship which is being experienced in Turkey now..

Consider this irony.. Desert storm screws us economically and when finally the IMF must help out, all the ignorants complain that once again the taxpayer must pay. Nobody realizes who really had to pay for low low US oil prices throughout the 90's.

[CecilRhodesGhost]

a_Turk- don't worry. This time the Turkish people will make out better. Wolfowitz and team know that because the EU is not going to get on the US train to attack Iraq, places like Turkey become even more valuable.

[Militiaman7]

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was a great leader. He is considered the George Washington of Turkey. I lived outside Istanbul for almost 3 years. It was a great experience. Good people the Turks.

[a_Turk]

Did the people who "gave" him the "Ataturk" also take away his name of Kemal?

During Ottoman times there were no last names in Turkey. You'd be named Ali, and in town known as Ali son of Yusuf, if your dad happened to be named Yusuf. Out of town you'd be known as Ali of Istanbul, if you were from there.

Some people did have two names, such was Ataturk's case. His parents named him Mustafa, and a teacher who was impressed with his abilities added the name Kemal, so he was known as Mustafa Kemal son of Ali Reza of Thessaloniki from there on.

When finally, years later, he introduced the concept of last names to us Turks, we felt it only fitting to give him the last name Ataturk, sothat his name became Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It goes to show how my nation feels about this great man..