Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Rick Perry says Turkey should be expelled from NATO


January 17 2012 at 9:11 AM


Rick Perry says Turkey should be expelled from NATO, calls leaders 'Islamic terrorists'
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Republican presidential candidateTexas Gov. Rick Perry speaks during the South Carolina Republican presidential candidate debate. AP photo

Texas governor and U.S. presidential hopeful Rick Perry suggested it might be time to kick Turkey out of NATO, calling the country's leaders "Islamic terrorists."

Perry made the remarks during Fox News' South Carolina debate, website Mediaite.com reported yesterday.

Moderator Bret Baier reportedly mentioned Turkey's ruling "Islamist" Justice and Development Party (AKP) and outlined the increasing murder rates of women, declining press freedom in the country and deteriorating relations with Israel and Greek Cyprus since the AKP came to power and asked Perry if he believed Turkey still belonged in NATO.

Obviously when you have a country that is being ruled by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists, when you start seeing that type of activity against their own citizens, then ... not only is it time for us to have a conversation about whether or not they belong to be in NATO but its time for the United States, when we look at their foreign aid, to go to zero with it, Perry said, adding that Turkey "moved far away from the country it once was in the 1970s," when Perry was stationed in Turkey as a pilot.

The report said Perry's response "might surprise many" and mentioned Turkey's longstanding alliance with the U.S. in NATO, citing an article from the Washington Post that defined Turkey as "a critical diplomatic partner engaged in a working relationship that is one of the most important but least discussed developments shaping [2011s] change in the Arab world.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rick-perry-says-turkey-should-be-expelled-from-nato-calls-leaders-islamic-terrorists--.aspx?pageID=238&nID=11650&NewsCatID=358

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