World Jewish News

Speaking at a UN-sponsored forum in Vienna, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Zionism a ‘crime against humanity’ and equated it with racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

In letter to Ashton, 20 Members of the European Parliament call on EU FMs to condemn Erdogan’s comments equating Zionism with a

Twenty members of the European Parliament condemned recent comments by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling Zionism a “crime against humanity” and urged the EU Foreign Ministers to do the same at their meeting Monday in Brussels.
In a letter to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the 20 MEPs representing 5 political parties and 11 EU Member States said: “We write as concerned Members of the European Parliament about the recent reprehensible statement by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling Zionism a “crime against humanity.” We condemn this statement in no uncertain terms and call on you to do the same at the next Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 11 March. Anything short of a firm rebuke is insufficient.
Speaking last week at a UN-sponsored forum in Vienna, Erdogan equated Zionism with racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,
“As a fellow democracy, we in the European Union must support Israel against those who challenge the country’s very existence. That was clearly Mr. Erdogan’s intentions when he coupled Zionism with Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and Fascism – three manifestations of hate we in the European Union fight against. The banality of Mr. Erdogan’s comparison needs little explanation: Zionism is the fulfillment of the national rights and aspirations of the Jewish people and must not be denied,” the letter adds.
“We have heard statements like these before, but what makes this situation even more troubling is that it comes from a leader of a country seeking to join our Union. Thus, we have a further obligation to speak out against these acts, not simply in defense of Israel but in promotion of our core values of tolerance and democracy.”
The MEPs said the Turkish Prime Minister “must be held accountable for his hateful statements.” ‘We trust you will do so at the next Foreign Affairs Council meeting.”
The EU has come under criticism both from Israeli officials and from various Jewish organizations for not joining the White House, US Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Germany and Austria in denouncing Erdogan’s comments.
In response to a question about the Turkish Prime Minister's remarks, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Thursday during a meeting with visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres: “We didn’t agree with Mr Erdogan’s statement and we made it clear that we couldn’t agree at all with it.

by: Yossi Lermpkowicz

EJP