GUL CRITICIZES LEADERS IN EUROPE OF ‘PETTY POLITICS’
Hurriyet
May 25 2012
Turkey
President Gul blames European leaders for leaning to far-right policies
by engaging ‘petty politics.’ Gul also says it was risky but right
decision to visit Armenian capital
Turkish President Abdullah Gul (L) welcomed by former US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. AA
photo European leaders are guilty of engaging in “petty politics”
by leaning toward the far right instead of finding new ways to fight
the economic crisis, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said May 23 at
Stanford University.
“A leader should not always seek the easy and well-worn path ahead. He
or she should be ready to go a new direction and leave a trail behind,”
said Gul in the conference, adding that the current situation in
Europe is “a telling example of how the lack of visionary leadership
could adversely affect the lives of millions.” “In recent months,
we have witnessed in one after another election far-right parties
gaining strength. And, even worse, their ideologies and views are
more and more becoming part of the mainstream,” Gul was quoted as
saying by the Presidency’s website, adding that this was an example of
“petty-politics at its worst.”
Gul said the steps which brought European states closer to far-right
politics were an example of the failure of leadership. “First,
Europe’s leaders failed to see the looming economic problems,”
he said. “Consequently, the limitations of the European leaders in
taking necessary decisions brought about the financial calamities they
currently face. And now, there are growing tendencies across Europe to
become more [inward-looking] and to give in to the rise of extremist
political groups.” Gul was welcomed by former U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice before addressing students at the Stanford Graduate
School of Business. Speaking about the changes in Arab countries during
his speech, Gul said leaders in the Middle East had long been out of
touch with their people. The president said dictators in countries like
Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Syria long thought they could stay
in power as long as their armies and intelligence services were strong.
‘I was right to visit Yerevan’
Speaking of his historic visit to the Armenian capital of Yerevan
in 2008, Gul said it was “a risky move” for domestic political
considerations and for foreign policy implications. “I went to Yerevan,
marking the first-ever visit of a Turkish president to Armenia. The
reward I was expecting from this gesture was a mending of fences
between our two nations. I still pursue this hope. … Risky as it was,
I did the right thing by visiting Yerevan,” Gul said.
Asked by Rice about Egypt’s election, Gul said Turkey was a
Muslim country and was continuing its reforms on the way to the EU
membership. “You will see that more Muslim states have democracy in
the near future.” Gul also said Turkey’s currently poor relations with
Israel were a result of Tel Aviv’s choices. Relations deteriorated
after nine Turks were killed in an Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara
flotilla, which aimed to break the Gaza blockade in May 2010. Gul
reiterated that Turkey’s demand for an apology from Israel had
remained unanswered. On a lighter note, the president also shared a
memory of his childhood, saying he failed to sell soft drinks at his
grandfather’s shop because he was too shy to shout “Ice-cold soda!”
“That was the end of my business career! If that very failure would
not have happened that day, most probably I would not be the president
of the Turkish Republic today,” he said. Gul met with Apple executives
later on May 23.