La différence turque

Important, la différence turque

Le 4 avril 2002.— Les déclarations du Premier ministre turc Ecevit sont à lire avec intérêt. Elles ne sont pas les premières du genre, — c'est-à-dire, à prendre des distances avec la politique américaine. Déjà, en marge du sommet européen de Barcelone, en mars, Ecevit avait explicitement condamné une possible attaque de l'Irak par les américains.

Voici des extraits du texte d'Associated Press du 4 avril :

« Turkey's prime minister accused Israel on Thursday of committing ''genocide'' against Palestinians — an unusually harsh denunciation from a country with strong ties to the Jewish state.

» Turkey, a predominantly Muslim and secular nation, has sharpened its criticism of Israel since the beginning last week of the Israeli siege on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's statement Thursday was his strongest to date.

» ''Not only Arafat, but all of the Palestinian state is being destroyed step by step. In front of the world's eyes, a genocide is being committed,'' he told a meeting of his political party. Ecevit condemned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon or not negotiating with Arafat. ''The Sharon administration has chosen the path of occupation and war instead of peace and dialogue,'' Ecevit said. He also warned the United States that radical Islamic groups — including Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network — could proliferate unless Washington takes a more active role in the Middle East.''Bin Laden and al-Qaida will have a field day,'' Ecevit told members of parliament from his Democratic Left Party. ''Not just the region, but the whole world ... will suffer.'' »