“I have never said to him that we had made a mistake, never. If he did say this at Harvard then he has to apologize to us.” Of course. Islamic supremacists never admit mistakes or wrongdoing; everything is always the fault of everyone else.
“Turkish president demands apology from Biden,” by Suzan Fraser, Associated Press, October 4, 2014:
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday demanded an apology from U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and warned he would become “history for me” over comments in which he said the Turkish leader had admitted that Turkey had made mistakes by allowing foreign fighters to cross into Syria.
Erdogan denied ever saying that and told reporters in Istanbul that Biden “will be history for me if he has indeed used such expressions.”
Responding to questions following his speech at the Harvard Kennedy School on Thursday, Biden described Erdogan as “an old friend.” Biden added: “He (Erdogan) said: ‘You were right. We let too many people through.’ Now they’re trying to seal their border.”
Erdogan said: “I have never said to him that we had made a mistake, never. If he did say this at Harvard then he has to apologize to us.”
The spat comes as Turkey, a NATO ally, is expected to define the role it will play in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic state militants who have captured a swath of Iraq and Syria, in some cases right up to the Turkish border.
This week Turkey’s parliament approved a motion giving the government powers for military operations across the border in Syria and Iraq and for foreign troops to use Turkey’s territory.
“Foreign fighters have never entered Syria from our country. They may come to our country as tourists and cross into Syria, but no one can say that they cross in with their arms,” Erdogan said.
He said Turkey had prevented 6,000 suspected jihadis from entering the country and deported another 1,000….
Peter Buckley says
According to this Turkish writer, Turkey is currently home to 400,000 ISIS sympathisers (“potential jihadists”).
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4756/the-few-brave-men-of-turkey
Still, why worry? It’s only a “tiny minority”…….
Salah says
The power of ISIL:
1- Man power, coming throughTurkey.
2- Money, coming from Qatar.
Both are allies of the U.S. !!!
Add to that, the Muslim Brotherhood infiltration of the White House!!!
Is it not fair to say: ISIL is made in and by the U.S. administration???
cjk says
My common sense tells me, no screams at me that Turkey is covertly doing everything it can to foster, control, and use ISIS. They have the same ideology and goals in the long run. The big difference I guess is that ISIS wants an Arab in charge, but I suspect that when the rubber hits the road any Mohammedan supremacist will do that can get the job done.
Max Publius says
Erdogan seems like a very petty, insecure male who must hide behind Islam and Turkish ethno-nationalism to elevate himself. At least Ataturk was his own person.
Bamaguje says
“Foreign fighters have never entered Syria from our country. They may come to our country as tourists and cross into Syria, but no one can say that they cross in with their arms” – Erdogan.
“Tourists” crossing into warring Syria… sometimes with arms.
What kind of tourists heads off into a war zone?
How come these “tourists” are all young Muslims?
Oliver says
NOT ALL. Most, probably, as a SWAG ( Scientific Wild Ass Guess), as opposed to a WAG ( Wild Ass Guess) 98%.
Remember the two Italian girls (JW post earlier-); and the two girls from Scotland ( although they could have been Muslim); and I am sure some other women. (The mother from Britain with her children comes to mind). And, not sure if I saw it on JW or elsewhere, there were ENTIRE FAMILIES coming 9or going) into Syria, form Turkey, one originally from somewhere (in what was) The Soviet Union. (I do not recall which Muslim hell hole there the family or families came from; just recall reading it).
Oliver says
To me, it seems that two not to bright people, who are in positions of (at least some power) –and both being politicians – are naturally liars-seem to be at odds as to what lie each told the other.
Biden,, who a few elections back, sued the biography of an Englishman (politician) as his own-almost word for word, as I remember, and then had to apologize.
And Erdogan is a Muslim, who seems to have ethical issues (like crooked friends in high positions; bribery-like the mine that collapsed killing a few hundred-after his “safety inspector” gave it a passing grade. (What happened to the investigation of that?). (And the anti-corruption riots?)
Looks like two two bit less then honest and less then ethical politicans are having a spat.
Know Thy Enemy says
So the stern Erdogan threatened that Biden will become “history for me” unless he apologized to him (Erdogan). Well the trembling Biden apologized within 8 hours of Erdogan’s firm demand-
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/10/04/biden-apologizes-to-turkish-president-over-remarks/
Know Thy Enemy says
This is the coward that the Liberals and ‘Progressives’ have elected as Vice-President of USA 🙁
mortimer says
Turkey knew. Turkish immigration officials knew. Turkish police forces knew. The Turkish cabinet knew. The Turkish president and prime minister knew.
Erdogan is a mendacious taqiyya artist.
DiMu says
Turkey has a large economy and a history of regional domination, which they have not forgotten. They are the biggest danger in the ME because they have turned from secularism and are embracing Islamic fundamentalism.
They could be our biggest problem too, even more so than Iran, as they have not disintegrated as the other ME nations are, although they suffer the same internal tensions between modernism and atavistic Islam.
Biden is always an idiot.
Mojoron says
Logic is lost on either of these two characters. But in this case, Biden may be right. Islam purposely fails to speak truth. Anything they say should be considered false. Turkey, if they become radicalized, will be a problem. Since the beginning of Islam, Constantinople of the old empire, has always been considered the lynch pin of Asia’s economy and freedom. Much of what Turkey does or believes impacts all those countries that surround her. Russia has much to worry about. While Russia thinks she is the greatest producer of oil and gas in Europe, many of that commodity runs through Turkey. They could cut off the supply in a heart beat. And then where will mother Russia be? Other than oil and gas, Russia produces nothing else for her economy. Her agrarian society of the 1930’s has never become big enough to feed her. The US had to sell grain to her in the 1960’s, during the height of the cold war, to protect her from starving. She imports almost all of her foodstuff’s and depends of oil and gas revenue to pay for it.
If Turkey becomes radicalized, Russia is in big trouble, as well the rest of the Balkans.