EU: Sorry Erdogan We Don't Believe a Word

[Scunner]

Well it appears RTE didn't convince anyone about just about anything during his time at the EU.

The vice-chairman of the Liberal Group in the European Parliament, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, who represented his group in the meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday, said he was not convinced by the arguments put forward by the Turkish prime minister to explain the corruption cases which erupted on Dec. 17 and the unfolding events afterwards.

The German politician, who is also his group's shadow rapporteur on Turkey, said the prime minister's theories were not “proper arguments.”

Not least his view on the Gezi Park chapter:

Referring to the Gezi Park incidents of last summer, Lambsdorff said it was worrying to see once more Erdoğan calling Gezi Park demonstrators “terrorists.” “We followed what happened in Gezi and I do not share his analysis. Calling all those people ‘terrorists' is unacceptable,” he said.

But everything else pretty much: Today's Zaman

[Colwyn]

Surely Lambsdorff accepted Erdogan's claim that the Gezi Park protests were staged by Lufthansa in order to sabotage the proposed third Istanbul airport as the main air hub of Europe?

[Ian]

Not pulling the wool over the EU's eyes - gosh it must be a very weak case he made  if they saw through it !!!

Smacks of complacency to me - thinks he can get away with anything!

[JohnF]

Ha ha, nice one.  Hadn't got round to reading TZ today.

Liked this: “We got the impression that he is not prepared to agree to pursue corruption charges.”

Never...

JF

[Colwyn]

I wonder whether there is another country in the world, ever, where the head of government warns of the danger of "rule by judiciary". Judge Dread was a fantasy film wasn't it?

[Scunner]

The thing with terrorists is that they are masters of disguise. Like the ones disguised as people living in tents in a park.

[Colwyn]

Or those going to tennis matches and pretending to be fans so they can boo fine, decent, upstanding, honourable government ministers.