Erkan's field diary

Turkish PM urges pope to apologise for Islam remarks

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on Pope Benedict XVI to apologise for his "unfortunate, ugly" remarks on Islam, adding his voice to a growing international condemnation of the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Protesters hold a banner that reads 'we blame Diyarbakir massacre' in Turkish during a protest in Istanbul September 16, 2006 to appeal for peace in the troubled region and voice anger at a bomb blast which killed 10 people in Diyarbakir. REUTERS/Stringer (TURKEY)

Markets with Highest Percentage of Consumers Who Have No Spare Cash
Market- % with "No Spare Cash"*
Portugal 23%
United States 22%
Netherlands 17%
United Kingdom 17%
Canada 16%
France 16%
Turkey 16%
Hungary 15%
Korea 15%
Germany 15%

*Global Average=13%
Source: ACNielsen Online Consumer Confidence Study

European Council meeting in Gaziantep; For two years Republican People’s Party deputy Abdülkadir Ateş has been president of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. by GILA Benmayor

* Pope's remarks "won't affect Turkish visit" say Ankara sources
* ‘Don’t play to voters over Turkey’ - TUSIAD criticizes European politicians

Is Turkey drifting? (2) by Gunduz Aktan:

The fact that the deterioration of Turkey’s relations with the United States and the European Union has come about as a result of an accumulation over time may affect our foreign policy permanently. This trend may strengthen if the United States and the EU gradually distance themselves from Turkey. However, it cannot be said that the present level of public anger, doubt and hostility has reached the point of no return.

Posted by erkan at September 17, 2006 01:59 AM | TrackBack
Posted to News | Pope/Pope's Speech