Turkey asks U.S. to foil Israeli plans for Temple Mount

haaretz.com ^ | Saturday, August 16, 2003 Av 18, 5763 Israel Time: 02:32 (GMT+3) | Zvi Bar'el

[Destro]

Saturday, August 16, 2003 Av 18, 5763 Israel Time: 02:32 (GMT+3)

Turkey asks U.S. to foil Israeli plans for Mount

By Zvi Bar'el

ANKARA - Turkey yesterday asked the United States to intervene urgently to halt Israel's plan to allow non-Muslims to visit and pray on the Temple Mount.

The request came after Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat appealed to the Turkish premier, saying that opening the Temple Mount to non-Muslims would rekindle violence in the Middle East.

In a message delivered to the U.S. embassy in Ankara, Turkey

warned that visits by non-Muslims to the Temple Mount could negatively impact on its ability to implement its recent decision to accede to a U.S. request to send Turkish troops to Iraq. The government's decision must still be approved by the Turkish parliament.

"We do not need a religious struggle on the Temple Mount when we are facing an internal struggle in Turkey over sending troops to Iraq," a senior Turkish official said. "A religious eruption over this issue could cause anti-American demonstrations in Turkey, leading parliament to oppose assistance to the Americans."

Turkish sources said they hope that the transmission of their message to Israel via the U.S. will be enough to persuade Israel to reconsider its plan to allow visits by non-Muslims to the Temple Mount. "However, if it turns out that the message has not been understood, we will apparently have to transmit sharper and clearer messages," one official said.

The sources said that Turkish policy toward Israel has not changed, but "Israel must understand the interests of Turkey and the U.S. These are not limited to the question of the Temple Mount but extend to events in the entire region."

Meanwhile, no decision has yet been made regarding a date for a planned visit to Israel by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The main obstacle to the visit is Israel's insistence that Erdogan not meet with Yasser Arafat. Turkey holds that Arafat is a leader who should not be boycotted. The Turkish prime minister's visit is expected to take place before the end of the year, but if Israel maintains its opposition to the Arafat visit, Erdogan will have to make separate visits to Israel and to the Palestinian Authority.

Turkey has contributed $50 million to the Palestinian Authority since 1993, and intends to contribute additional money when Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas pays an expected official visit to Ankara in September. Turkey is also advising the Palestinians on the framing of a constitution. Ankara has proposed that the Palestinians adopt a constitution similar to Turkey's, creating a secular democratic state in which Islamic law is not a source of legislation. But Palestinian experts oppose this idea, mainly due to pressure from Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

[My2Cents]

Right. The US should endorse religious oppression.

[RightWhale]

This was probably the immediate justification of the Palestinian bombings this week, if such things can be justified in any moral system.

[My2Cents]

"A religious eruption over this issue could cause anti-American demonstrations in Turkey, leading parliament to oppose assistance to the Americans."

Is Turkey still debating whether the US can use their base as a take-off point for the war against Saddam?

[Monty22]

I'm sure we'll make this a real priority..

Shove it turkey.

[syriacus]

Dear Turkish leaders,

Sorry. We can't get involved in religious problems. We only deal with ideological problems.

Cordially yours,
Sens. Schumer, Durbin, and Leahy

[Dog Gone]

I think that diplomatic wrangling over which group of people may walk up to the top of a silly rock or not shows that we all still need to grow up.

This may have made sense thousands of years ago, but the ancient site of a temple is a historical curiousity. Or should be.

[tet68]

Hmmmmm. Soon the Islamics will declare the World Trade Center site a Muslim holy area and demand that New Yorkers
KEEP OUT!

I don't thiiiiink so.

[July 4th]

"We do not need a religious struggle on the Temple Mount when we are facing an internal struggle in Turkey over sending troops to Iraq"

Hey Turks, the Temple Mount ain't in Turkey.

[Destro]

It used to be....

[sofaman]

I hate to state the obvious, but the Temple Mount is named as such because the Beit Hamikdash (the Holy Temple) was erected on that spot, twice. And both times, many hundreds of years before Islam was even a glimmer in Mohammed's eye.

You will note that the statement refers to non-Muslims. You will further note that these same Muslims refused to allow Jews to worship at the Western Wall, prior to the '67 war. In fact, Jews were not even allowed to approach the Wall. (Which by the way, is a very good reason why Israel should never relinquish control of East Jerusalem.)

So please explain to me why, exactly, Jews should not be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount?

[Destro]

Just ask the Turks about the Church of St. Sophia and you will see why.

[sheik yerbouty]

It's ironic. the Turks were the only ones who could control the psychotic behavior of the Arabs in the area.

[tbpiper]

This may have made sense thousands of years ago, but the ancient site of a temple is a historical curiousity

Hey, Dog. That 'historical curiousity' is about to become very relavent to current events. Mt St Helens was a geological curiosity until it exploded. Keep an eye on the temple mount. The whole world is centered there.

[sofaman]

"...but the ancient site of a temple is a historical curiousity."

I must respectfully disagree. This is Judaism's holiest site. Even non-observant Jews revere the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.

By the way, I strongly suggest a visit to the Western Wall. I personally watched people, non-observant Jews and non-Jews alike, who were completely overwhelmed just standing in front of the Wall.

There is a very strange feeling that envelopes one there. It is impossible to explain, but it is, nontheless, absolutely tangible.

[sofaman]

It's a museum now. Was there a month ago. Reading this it almost makes me sorry I visited there...

[Dog Gone]

That's a powerful testament to religion and the very real sentiments people have about it. But I think it's still a rock.

I'm not at all intending to pick a fight. All I'm arguing for is tolerance so that people who believe strongly about the importance of a rock can enjoy it in peace.

[Destro]

Did you notice the Koranic Islamic emblems hanging from the ceilings inside St. Sophia extolling the power of Islam over Christianity inside what was once the largest church on the planet? And to know that there are still Christians in Turkey that would like the church back? Why is it denied them? Thus in asking the questions you can understand the Turkish answer.

[yhwhsman]

Exactly, it's the key to the future of the entire world. Especially since the Ark of the Covenant and the holy furniture may have been found.

Ron Wyatt's Museum

Yhwhsman

[sofaman]

Thanks for explaining...

Couldn't agree with you more. The Palestinians, and Muslims in general scream about the intolerance shown their religion, yet they cannot allow Jews to visit and worship at the holiest site in the Judaic world?