It appears that the orchestrated attacks on European embassies in Tripoli –conducted by Gadhafi supporters– were too much for the Turkish government. The Italian and British embassies were attacked last weekend –allegedly in retaliation for NATO air strikes. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan says Gadhafi’s removal from power is now “inevitable.”
Turkey on Tuesday urged Moamer Kadhafi to “immediately” cede power and leave Libya, in its first public call on the veteran strongman to go.
“We wish that the Libyan leader pulls out from Libya and cedes power immediately — for himself and for the future of his country — without causing more bloodshed, tears and destruction,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters.
Kadhafi’s departure has become “inevitable,” he said, adding that the Libyan leader “must take this historic step in the name of Libya’s future, territorial integrity and peace.”
The report goes on to say that the International Contact Group on Libya (Turkey belongs to the group) is preparing to discuss the possibility of arming Libyan rebels and providing financial assistance.
Turkey is not Gadhafi’s friend, but Turkey’s ambivalence towards NATO’s aerial intervention in Libya’s civil war potentially provides Gadhafi with a political fissure to exploit. It appears that fissure is closing.
As for spelling Gadhafi. I use Gadhafi because that’s what my editor at Creators Syndicate plugs in if I spell the Colonel’s name “Qadaffi” or “Khadaffi.” AFP uses Kadhafi. The Colonel is also referred to (with no fondness) as Daffy Duck. It was sometime in the late 1980s when I was pulling my annual reserve active duty for training tour that I heard Gadhafi called Daffy Duck. This witticism is, of course, an insult to Warner Brothers and a truly great cartoon character.
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