Hürriyet, Turkey
Jan 31 2009
Debate moderator takes flak for actions
ANKARA – The moderator of the panel discussion in Davos has been
harshly criticized for being biased by not giving Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an the right to reply. Criticism was
made of David Ignatius for being prejudiced against Turkey and the
Arab world, citing his well-known book and other articles he had
written.
The movie "Body of Lies," which is based on Ignatius’ book, was
accused of reflecting a prejudice against the Arab world. In reply to
the criticisms, Ignatius, who visited Istanbul on Dec. 16, pointed to
terror attacks in the city. He defended the U.S. occupation in Iraq,
claiming that the reason was just, but the method was wrong.
A Jewish-American journalist of Armenian descent, Ignatius, is a
prominent columnist of The Washington Post, well-known for his
expertise in the Middle East. Following the tension in Davos, his
articles recaptured attention, leading some pro-government media
organizations to state that Ignatius was a strong critic of
ErdoÄ?an and had a pro-Israel stance.
His article titled "Turkey’s Domino Theory," in which he wrote an
analysis of Turkey’s role in the region after interviewing
ErdoÄ?an’s top adviser, Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu, was widely
covered in the Turkish media.
In the article, Ignatius likened the ruling Justice and Development
Party, or AKP’s attitude in the Middle East to Ottoman politics.
"DavutoÄ?lu spoke with me Wednesday in the Dolmabahçe
Palace on the shores of the Bosphorus. The Ottoman setting was
appropriate," Ignatius said. In the article, DavutoÄ?lu
described a series of political choices ahead in the Middle East next
year as a row of dominoes. "If they fall in the right direction, good
things could happen. But if they start toppling the wrong way, watch
out," he warned in the interview.
Ignatius pointed to uneasiness that had been caused by the
ErdoÄ?an government’s new regional policy, "Critics argue that
although ErdoÄ?an is still officially committed to joining the
European Union, he is actually abandoning that goal," he wrote.
His other articles about Turkey’s role as a key intermediary in the
Middle East also included comparisons with the Ottoman Empire to
Turkey’s present foreign policies.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress