How do you say...
Sir, - For the Turkish Prime Minister to criticize the IDF punitive raid into Gaza during Operation Cast Lead is another glaring example of Islamic hypocrisy ("Ankara must decide," October 13).
As your editorial writer correctly pointed out, the entire world knows to its horror just how brutal, unjustified, and totally disproportionate the almost routine Turkish military incursions into the Kurdish regions really are; and no country in the Islamic world has ever condemned them. Indeed, any Western criticism of Turkey's massacres and oppression of Kurds is met with Turkish defiance and expressions of injured outrage.
Furthermore, according to Human Rights Watch, the Turkish government, in addition to banning Kurds from speaking their language and giving their children Kurdish names has, in an organized attempt to destroy this ethnic group, wiped out over 3,000 Kurdish villages and towns, displacing over 370,000 Kurdish civilians.
Israel has never even come close - nor tried - to cause anywhere near that kind of human catastrophe.
Rather than trying to soothe the phony outrage expressed by PM Erdogan over IDF actions in Gaza, perhaps our government should demand that Turkey first clean up its act before making baseless and hypocritical accusations?
KENNETH BESIG
Kiryat Arba
...hypocrisy
Sir, - The Turks have some nerve! They massacre 1.5 Armenian men, women and children; murder countless Greeks and Kurds over a period of 50 years; bombard Kurdish refugee camps, killing men, women and children - and then blame us for killing Palestinian children.
This level of hypocrisy is of gigantic proportions and has nothing to do with truth or human rights, only with hatred and propaganda.
I say we support the US Congress in labeling the genocide of the Armenians as just what it was, and stop all shipments of arms and armaments to Turkey. Let them have their Arab friends.
JACK COHEN
Netanya
...in Turkish?
Sir, - Turkey: Either you are with us, or you're not. Based on recent developments, I would place a ban on any Israeli visiting that country. Why should we put one shekel into its economy?
SUSAN TARAGIN
Jerusalem
Egypt, lift the blockade
Sir, - I fully agree with Larry Derfner that the blockade should be lifted - by Egypt ("Forget the inquiries - lift the blockade," October 15).
From 1948 to 1967, Gaza was controlled by Egypt. Israel did not have to feed its population or supply it with electricity, fuel or medical care. It's tragic that the poor Gazans are suffering because of the Egyptian blockade, and it's time we told the international community that we no longer wish to continue supplying the aid Egypt should be providing.
MOTTLE GOODBAUM
Jerusalem
