[lbo-talk] Turkey as soft cop

[Marv Gandall]

(Earlier this week, the Turkish PM Recep Erdogan was reportedly in telephone contact with Gadhafi urging him to step aside. Turkey has publicly offered to mediate the conflict and NATO, including the Obama administration, has presumably had that role in mind for it from the beginning after a short but punishing bombing campaign forces the regime to its knees. At least, that's NATO's hoped for "endgame".)

Turkish President: Gaddafi Should Resign
Turkish Weekly
Saturday, 26 March 2011

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi should resign, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in an interview he gave in Gabon after a meeting with this country’s head, Turkish news agency İhlas reported.

"The Libyan leader has to create conditions for change and resign in order not to further harm the country," Gul said.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution envisaging the introduction of no-fly zone over Libya and giving an opportunity to foreign military to hold operations against Gaddafi’s forces on March 17. Military operations began on March 19. They involve the armed forces of Great Britain, France, USA, Canada and Italy.

http://www.turkishweekly.net/print.asp?type=1&id=113142