Turkey prosecutor to probe whether IDF Gaza op was 'genocide'

[bemildred]

A Turkish prosecutor's office says it has launched a probe into whether Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip counts as genocide, torture and crimes against humanity.

The Ankara chief prosecutor's office said Friday that the investigation was opened after an Islamic human rights organization filed an official complaint against Israeli leaders, including the president, prime minister and foreign minister.

The prosecutor's office said the rights organization has also asked for the Israeli officials be detained if they step foot in Turkey. Turkish prosecutors are required to open investigation any time an official complaint is filed. Turkish laws allow trials against people accused of genocide and other crimes against humanity committed in other countries.

Israeli and Turkish officials have been engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions aimed at easing tensions between the two countries in the wake of Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1062209.html

[Tempest]

1. Pot, meet Kettle

What hypocrisy.

Turkey has yet to admit to their genocide of the Armenian people. Even today they jail people who speak out about it.

[bemildred]

3. Hey, anybody can reform.

Germany has really strong laws against this sort of thing now. Never too late to start I say.

[Tempest]

5. Until they reform internally

This is nothing more than a hypocritical act that only strengthens Israel's position.

Of course, that may be the intention by Turkey.

[bemildred]

6. Sounds like a plot to me.

Trying to dissemble their own guilt by attacking Israel. And they pretend to be friends too.
:puke::puke:

[Tempest]

8. Or Turkey is hoping Israel can talk its way out of it

And Turkey will use the same rational for not recognizing the Armenian genocide.

[bemildred]

9. Indeed, even more twisted and underhanded of them.

I can see you are on top of things.

[shaayecanaan]

15. Not them...

you dont have to go back to 1923 to find the Turks guilty of genocide. The 50 000 dead Kurds are evidence enough

[GoesTo11]

2. Turkey, the latest blowhard Muslim country

They are angling to be leaders in the Muslim world now by screaming loudest during the three minute hate.

[Tempest]

7. Turkey's government is not Muslim

It's population is mainly Muslim, but it's government is a secular democracy.

[GoesTo11]

10. The current leader is trying to change that

That's what this is about. He's trying to radicalize Turkey's Muslim population and pull Turkey into that orbit rather than the west.

[Tempest]

11. No he's not

He tried to make subtle changes that would have had little consequence and was voted down when he first took office but nothing since.

Where are you getting your information?

[GoesTo11]

12. I'm talking about PM Erdgogan, not Pres Gul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recep_Tayyip_Erdo%C4%9Fan

It's pretty clear that he wants to move the country hard in that direction - not to radical Islam, but toward Islam nonetheless.

"It is not possible to be secular and Muslim at the same time. They are continuously saying, "Secularism is in danger". It will be, if this nation demands it. You can not prevent it. The Islamic nation is waiting for the rise of the Muslim Turkish nation. We will. This rebellion will start" - Erdogan.

Gul tried to make the "subtle changes" you refer to - basically allowing more a more visible role for Islam, but he's not the one making the power play - he was put in place by Erdogan.

[Tempest]

16. Whaaat?

he was put in place by Erdogan

Gul was elected to office after he won the nomination from his party.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/28/AR2007082800223.html


Erdogan's ideals are of no consequence to Turkey's politics. And he's not foolish enough to plot a coup because the military would not support him.

[ohio2007]

4. Turkey has a full closet of skeletons nt

[Idealism]

13. Hard to tell if this is just anti-Semitism or Turkey being overzealous

Either way, I don't think the genocide tag fits. There were enough crimes committed in Gaza, you don't need to go on a witch hunt for another Nuremberg to find justice.

[azurnoir]

14. Well it takes some "nerve" for Turkey to do this

but I am curious as to just what "Islamic human rights group" it was that filed suit and just why Turkey was the chosen country to do it in.