Gadhafi Humiliates Turkish Leader

Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan’s effort to bolster Turkey’s ties with radical Islamic countries exploded in his face this week as he sat silently while Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi publicly hectored him about Turkey’s policies.

Gadhafi’s harsh attacks on Turkey during Erbakan’s visit to Libya set off a political uproar in Istanbul, while the reports of his own meek response have severely shaken his coalition government.

Erbakan braved strong domestic and international criticism last week by setting off on a trip to Libya. But instead of welcoming Erbakan, one of the few world leaders who has extended a friendly hand to him, Gadhafi launched into a fierce anti-Turkish tirade at a joint news conference held in a tent near Tripoli, condemning Turkey for its ties to NATO and its lack of Islamic faith and making a heretical call for an independent Kurdish state.