(Ynet) Eldad Beck - Just one week before upcoming parliamentary elections in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and officials in his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) found a unique way to try and secure a victory at the polls by calling for the "liberation" of Jerusalem. Erdogan drew a straight historical line between the capture of Jerusalem from the crusaders by Saladin to the capture of Constantinople [in 1453] and to the elections in Turkey due to take place next week. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu recently dedicated a new airport in the south of the country, naming it after Saladin. According to Davutoglu, "It's a name that says to the Kurds, to Turkey, and to the Arabs, yes, this is our leader. It's a symbol that unites us," he continued. "All those who claim that Jerusalem is the Jews’ holy city should be ashamed."
2015-06-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive