TURKEY: US MUSLIM LEADER URGES WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ, VOWS TO FIGHT ARMENIAN BILL
Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
March 6 2007
Ankara, 6 March: American Muslim leader Wallace Deen Mohammed, who
is currently in Turkey as a guest of Justice and Development Party
(AKP) Deputy Egemen Bagis, called on US President George W. Bush and
other state officials to withdraw from Iraq.
Mohammed and Bagis held a joint press conference at the Turkish
parliament on Tuesday [6 March].
Bagis praised Mohammed, saying, "He is an outstanding spiritual
and opinion leader for Muslims in the USA," adding that Mohammed
disseminated Islam’s peaceful, modern and democratic message to the
world from the USA.
Bagis noted that Mohammed will support Turkey against the bill on
so-called Armenian genocide in the US Congress.
On the other hand, Mohammed said he is in Turkey for the third time,
noting that he learned a lot about Turkey from his father.
Asked whether he would lobby for Turkey in the US Congress against
Armenian claims, Mohammed recalled that for the first time in USA a
black person was elected a US congressman and added that they would
have necessary initiatives to help their all coreligionists.
Upon a question on Iraq, Mohammed said he once supported American
troops in Iraq, however, he now regrets his decision when he saw what
has happened in Iraq.