Latif Serhildan:
As Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, continues his triumphal tour of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, the countries that have successfully overthrown tyrannies in the unfolding Arab awakening, he can justly lay claim to be the most popular politician in the Arab world. Yeah right. There are those who argue he is the non-Arab leader. Yet he sees himself as one Arabs have most admired since Saladin – a Kurd from Mesopotamia (Kurdistan) – recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. Saladin could speak perfect Arabic. I watched your speech Mr. Erdogan you couldn’t even say Sukran in Arabic.
When Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Cairo he was greeted like some kind of hero as if he has after conquering Jerusalem from the occupation of Israel or Infidels. If I was to analyze two-faced politicians I think Erdogan deserves to be the in the Guiness book records. Before he become the prime minister in Turkey he wasn’t even allowed to stand in election because of his Islamic poem that he wrote in Turkey against the Turkish secular establishment. His main campaign was the promises that he made to both Kurdish and Turkish people that he would get Turkey into EU membership. Many Kurds and Turks wanted to join the EU they voted for him, thinking freedom, Democracy will prevail etc. After the second general election when he saw his power he thought off with EU membership “they are asking too much from me”. Such as Democracy, Human rights, Women equality etc, Cyprus, Kurdish issues etc to be solved these were some very sensitive issues that he had no stomach for it to solve it. Instead he turned his back to Europe and decided that EU has own economic problems lets to business with Arab world.
How he was going to gain Arab respect? By being critical of Israel and wanted to “help the people of Palestine” that was not really what he wanted at all, all he needed was to publicly humiliate the Israeli prime minister and enter Egypt like hero. Only one question I have for the people of the Arab world. If the Southeastern Turkey (North Kurdistan) there were not any Kurds living there but there was 20 million Arabs living there instead right? Let assume that for the second ok? The language of 20 million Arab people in Turkey was forbidden, their politicians and their leaders were mostly in jails, their children were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment because they throw stones at the police cars, they lost more than 30 thousands of people at the hands of Turkish army, 3 thousands of their villages were burnt to the ground and the Arabs were not even recognized as nation in Turkey.
What kind of reception would Erdogan received when he arrived in Cairo? Probably tomatoes, eggs, even stones or even shoes would be thrown at him. Yes he is a “good guy” after all the Kurds are not Arabs. The cheek of this man when he stood up in Arab league conference he said following this “to have Palestinian state amongst the UN is not option, it is an obligation” WOW. Big words from very oppressive, media circus man.
All I can say the people of Palestine are going to find out very soon that this man is not nothing but empty words. Big pot without any food, empty. I feel sorry for the Palestinian people he also told us that he had “Kurdish opening” we learned our lessons the hard way. By the way he has after given green light to missile defense system in Turkey (Diyarbakir capital city of Kurdistan) Iran you are next. Did you fall for that too? I suppose he thought Kurds wouldn’t know about Cairo conference.