DO NOT DISCRIMINATE, GUL

Hurriyet
Feb 4 2009
Turkey

ANKARA – President Abdullah Gul warned the public not to turn the
criticism of Israeli policy in Gaza into an anti-Semitic campaign
and called for respect for Turkey’s Jewish citizens.

"I am addressing all my citizens from here. Do not
discriminate. Everyone has equal rights." Gul said to reporters
yesterday before departing for Saudi Arabia.

"Turkish Jews are equal citizens of Turkey. They can be elected
lawmakers and president. There cannot be a stance taken against them,"
he said and then repeated the statements made by the prime minister who
said his criticism targeted the Israeli policy in Gaza, not the Jews.

"Citizenship is the essence of our Constitution. In every society,
there might be those who make mistakes but they should be warned,"
Gul said.

In response to a question about bilateral ties with Israel, Gul said,
without elaborating, that the statements made by both Israeli and
Turkish officials were clear and warned that speculations should not
be given attention. After Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s heated
confrontation with the Israeli president at a Davos panel last week,
Israeli officials called for calm and Turkey’s government spokesman
Cemil Cicek said Ankara wants to preserve ties with Tel-Aviv.

The president also answered the comments made after the government’s
strong rhetoric against Israel that Turkey lost its credibility as an
honest peace broker in solving regional conflicts. "Why should Turkey
be concerned? Turkey is not benefiting from mediation. If there is
a problem, the parties in the dispute will lose," he said.

Gul also defended Turkey’s policy of recognizing Hamas as a legitimate
interlocutor. "Hamas must be involved in the political process. Some
say this openly and some during our private meetings. Turkey has
acted responsibly from the very beginning, met with Hamas on the
days when they won the elections (in 2006) and warned them about the
consequences when they resorted to the wrong paths," he said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, who held an almost
one-hour meeting with Erdogan yesterday, said they discussed Middle
East peace. Speaking to reporters in Turkish following the meeting,
Jeffrey said Turkey and the United States were two strong democracies
and allies. When asked about concerns that the Jewish lobby in the
United States may not support Turkey if the alleged Armenian genocide
bill is discussed in the Senate, he said the United States had good
relations with Turkey, adding that the two were working together
despite occasional problems.

When asked if there is hope for a solution in Gaza, he said; "There is
hope. That’s why (U.S. special envoy for Middle East) George Mitchell
visited the region. But this is an important issue so we’re in constant
contact with both Turkey and the countries in the region."