Ynet News reports:
Just one week before
upcoming parliamentary elections in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan 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.
"Conquest is Mecca,
conquest is Saladin, it's to hoist the Islamic flag over Jerusalem
again; conquest is the heritage of Mehmed II and conquest means forcing
Turkey back on its feet," said Erdoğan in a speech on Saturday in
Istanbul before millions who appeared to celebrate 562 years since the
Turks captured Constantinople from European Christians. Erdoğan drew a
straight historical line between the capture of Jerusalem from the
crusaders by Saladin and the capture of Constantinople to the elections
in Turkey due to take place next week. Although state employees were
required to send a delegation to the celebration, under the threat of
punishment, local media reported that many partakers left during the
President's speech.
Attempts by Erdoğan and his allies to find political support by
linking Jerusalem and Islam have formed a clear and solid trend in
Turkey. Only a few days ago, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu dedicated a
new airport in the south of the country, naming it after Saladin.
According to Davutoğlu, "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 Jew's holy city should be ashamed. We chose
the name Saladin in order to send a message with the help of Allah that
Jerusalem will always belong to the Kurds, to Turkey, to Arabs, to
Muslims."
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