Israel Matzav

Why Egypt and Saudi Arabia should be concerned about Turkey

Barry Rubin blogs an speech by Bülent Yildirim, the main organizer of the flotilla of fools, who spoke to a Hamas rally in Gaza. The speech included this:

Then Yildirim threatens to overthrow any government that doesn’t support Hamas. Think of how the Egyptians, Saudis, and other governments feel about that:

Bülent Yildirim: "From here, I call upon all the leaders of the Islamic world, and upon all the peoples… Anyone who does not stand alongside Palestine – his throne will be toppled."

Yildirim does not see the Western outpouring of criticism against Israel as increasing humanitarian sentiments but as a step toward Islamist revolution and the takeover of more countries:

Bülent Yildirim: "Last night, everything in the world has changed, and everything is progressing towards Islam. All the peoples of the Islamic world would want a leader like Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."

Here is a direct pledge of allegiance to Turkey’s prime minister, the man behind the operation. So if Yildirim is a revolutionary Islamist who wants to destroy Israel, favors Jihad, and threatens moderate Arab regimes does that mean Erdogan, that model of a “moderate” Muslim “democrat” agree? Would he dissociate himself from Yildrim’s remarks?

Of course not.

Turkey's real goal seems to be the restoration of the Ottoman Empire. As of now, it looks like they will have NATO help in achieving that goal.

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:27 AM