[Los Angeles Times] Soner Cagaptay - Last Friday I felt uncomfortable in the prayer hall of Istanbul's Blue Mosque, where I found myself next to Ahmadinejad, who turned the ritual into a political show. With permission from Turkish authorities, he allowed Iranian television to videotape him during the entire prayer, in violation of Islamic tradition. Then, as he left the mosque, Ahmadinejad got out of his car to encourage a crowd of about 300 to chant, "Death to Israel! Death to America!" The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) also accommodated Ahmadinejad's refusal to pay respects at the mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey - a major violation of protocol for an official visit. By extending an invitation to Ahmadinejad, the first such move by any NATO or EU member country, Turkey has broken ranks with the West. The West can no longer take Turkey for granted as a staunch ally against Tehran. According to a recent opinion poll in Turkey, when asked what the country should do in the event of a U.S. attack against Iran, only 4% said Turkey should support the U.S., while 33% wanted to back Iran and 63% chose neutrality. The writer is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a visiting professor at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul.
2008-08-20 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive