Posted on 04/07/2013 3:53:44 PM PDT by Olog-hai
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry struggled Sunday to convince Turkeys leaders they should promptly restore full diplomatic ties with Israel, two American allies counted on by President Barack Obama to help calm the turbulent Middle East.
But Turkey demanded that Israel first end all commercial restrictions against the Palestinians before the once-close partners could end their estrangement, which stems from an Israeli raid in 2010 on a flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip. Eight Turks and a Turkish-American died.
Obama revived the rapprochement during a visit to Israel last month, and Kerry aimed to firm that up in Istanbul, the first stop in a 10-day trip.
The stakes are high, given that the U.S. sees Turkey and Israel as anchors of stability in a region riven by Syrias civil war, Arab Spring political upheavals and the potential threat posed by Iran's nuclear program.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
One can only imagine the laughter that occurs in these countries when this uber dork walks in.
To all except libs, Kerry defines incompetence.
A smoking fresh t*rd deserves more respect.
And gets it.
I read the Reuters article that your article uses as the source, and...
“Turkey has lifted a ban on female students wearing headscarves in schools providing religious education”
“Under the latest regulation, announced on Tuesday and going into effect from the 2013-2014 academic year, pupils at regular schools will also be able to wear headscarves in Koran lessons.”
So, the hijab ban is voided when students are learning Islamic material in Islamic schools. Hardly, the destruction of secularism in Turkey, although it is a troubling step in the wrong direction.
Agreed. This is a waste of time. Better to wait until Turkey (hopefully!!?) Gets a sane, non-Islamicist government again that won’t support terrorists. Any patching-up of relations won’t have a chance of lasting, anyway. Turkey’s bosses will just find another way of attacking USA/Europe/Israel (you know, the “infidels”).
Thanks for the good background. Turkey is however slipping into Islam and anti-Semitism, I don’t think it will hold out much longer.
Unfortunately the secularism advocated and implemented by Ataturk is eroding rapidly as Turkey becomes more democratic and has open elections. Secularism was enforced by the not so subtle influence and power of the Turkish army. Those generals are now long gone. Ironically the Western ideal of open and fair elections usually results in Islamists (often fundamentalists) coming to power in Muslim lands.
I suspect that Kerry takes the job seriously — unlike Madame Clinton. But what a disappointment it must be to him to find out that he’s been wrong on everything forever.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry struggled Sunday to convince Turkeys leaders they should promptly restore full diplomatic ties with Israel... But Turkey demanded that Israel first end all commercial restrictions against the Palestinians before the once-close partners could end their estrangement, which stems from an Israeli raid in 2010 on a flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip.
everyone tries to get Isaac to shake hands with Ishmael and Ishmael wants nothing to do with the plan because he was first born.
The Western ideal of open and fair elections does not mean every (or any) subversive group gets to participate. The actual “ideal” relates to constitutional government rather than “rule of man” populist “law”.
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