Babacan: In the wake of Davos, Islamic countries and the west are intensely interested in Turkey

Israel made a great mistake in Palestine by launching an offensive which left 1,300 dead, said Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday. Speaking to Star daily, Babacan stated that nobody should be silent in the face of such a human tragedy. Referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's walkout protest last month from a panel in Davos with the Israeli president, he added, "If you take a sincere attitude towards democracy, international law, solidarity, fundamental rights and freedoms, and you defend the same principles everywhere you go, everybody will trust you." He also said, "After that incident, there is intensive interest towards Turkey from both Islamic countries and the West… Erdogan's attitude was called the Turkish stand." Touching on US President Barack Obama's phone calls to President Abdullah Gul and Erdogan, Babacan said that the first bilateral talks between the leaders can be held during the April G-20 meeting in London.