EP's Watson: "Erdogan's statements on Israel won't influence Turkish-EU relations"

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent statements condemning Israel's use of disproportionate force won't influence Turkish-European Union relations, said Graham Watson, the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament, yesterday. In Ankara for talks, Watson, who is also running for EP president, said, "At a time when the EU abandoned the Palestinian people, Erdogan acted as a spokesman for many people in the EU who were frustrated. Neither the EU nor the US tried hard to end Israel's use of disproportionate force or collective punishment."