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Journalism of Courage
US SECRETARY of State John Kerry on Friday said the United States found a comment by Turkeys prime minister,likening Zionism to crimes against humanity,objectionable,overshadowing their talks on the crisis in neighbouring Syria.
Kerry,on his first trip to a Muslim nation since taking office,met Turkish leaders for talks meant to focus on Syrias civil war and bilateral interests from energy security to counter-terrorism. But the comment by Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan at a UN meeting in Vienna this week,condemned by his Israeli counterpart,the White House and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,has clouded his trip.
We not only disagree with it,we find it objectionable, Kerry told a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu,saying he raised the issue directly with Davutoglu and would do so with Erdogan.
Kerry said Turkey and Israel were both key US allies and urged them to restore closer ties. This incident has undermined US hopes that Turkey could play a role as a broker in the region.
Erdogan told the UN Alliance of Civilizations meeting in Vienna on Wednesday: Just as with Zionism,anti-Semitism and fascism,it has become necessary to view Islamophobia as a crime against humanity.
