Erdogan: Turkey will strongly retaliate if Israel violates its airspace
[ 09/12/2009 – 08:35 PM ]
ISTANBUL, (PIC)– Turkish premier Recep Erdogan warned that his
country would strongly respond if Israel violated its airspace, saying
that this retaliation would be like an `earthquake.’
Erdogan’s remarks were a reply to a question in an interview with
Egyptian journalist Fahmi Huwaidi, over the accuracy of information
indicating that Israel had violated Turkish airspace in order to spy
against Iran, the thing which angered Turkey and made it reject
Israel’s participation in joint military drills.
Erdogan continued, saying that this information is incorrect, but he
stated that, `if Israel did so, it will receive a response equal to
that of an earthquake.’
He also said it was not reasonable that Israel went to Gaza and
`swept’ its people and later had the audacity to believe that they
would still be allowed to train with Turkish defense forces after they
wrought havoc on the Gaza Strip.
`We, the elected government, came into being due to the will of our
people. We cannot then challenge the feelings of the Turkish people,
who were greatly affected by what happened during the aggression on
Gaza. Our respect for the feelings of the Turkish people played a
decisive role in the background of our decision in refusing to conduct
the drills of Anatolian Eagle,’ the Turkish premier underlined.
`Furthermore, the Israeli’s cannot use the relationship they have with
us as a card to wage aggression on a third party and expect us to
stand neutral or with folded hands,’ the premier added.