Lebanese Armenians riot in Beirut over Erdogan visit
Lebanon has 150,000 Armenians who harbor deep animosity toward the Turks over the 1915 killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians.
By The Associated Press Tags: Israel news Lebanon Recep Tayyip Erdogan TurkeyHundreds of Lebanese of Armenian descent clashed with army troops during a protest Thursday over a visit to Beirut by the Turkish prime minister.
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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the inauguration ceremony of a Turkish Trauma and Emergency hospital in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on a two day trip during which he met with officials and visited the north and south of the country. He was inaugurating a hospital in the southern port city of Sidon on Thursday as hundreds of protesters gathered in the capital's Martyrs' Square to denounce his visit.
Lebanon has 150,000 Armenians, or nearly 4 percent of its population, whom harbor deep animosity toward the Turks over the 1915 killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians.
When demonstrators tore up a large poster of Erdogan and pelted troops with rocks, security responded by beating up a number of them.
There were no reports of major injuries.
Erdogan, who also attended a business conference Thursday, warned Israel his country will not keep silent in case it attacks Lebanon or Gaza again.
They invade Lebanon with the most modern warplanes and tanks, they kill children and destroy schools and hospitals, and they expect us to remain silent? he asked.
We will not keep silent and we will stand with all our capabilities with what is right, he said.
Once close allies, ties between Israel and Turkey worsened in the wake of the Gaza war and have practically broken down since Israel's deadly commando raid in May on a Turkish-led flotilla trying to breach the blockade in Gaza. Nine Turks were killed in the raid.
During his visit to Lebanon, Erdogan repeatedly demanded an Israeli apology for the incident.
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Turkey should be very very quiet. More so that it gave arms, money and training to terrorists to go to Iraq and make Jihad on Americans. I think that would piss off many US troops and Obama too. Erdogan shioukld not continue to poke sharp sticks in to teh eyes of ISrael or US as they might just decide they have had enough of Turkish duplicity . As for Turkey standing with all its might with lebanon. What they are saying is they support ZHibullah. Not a good thing to do, but Turkey will fuind out in due course what is not good for it.
millions of palestinians in the streets everyday and u call it terrorism, when its against israel its terrorism and when its 100 people in the benefit of israel it is riots and they have the right.
The same people who bash Israel daily, are demoralizing the Armenians here and claim there was no genocide.
This lubnan visit of erdogan is going to be a memorable one. The people of libanon has showed its love for RTE. Turkey has played an important rol in keeping peace. Its still fragile tough. The popularity of erdogan is huge in the whole region. Israel should listen to him!
A reminder to the world of how bizarre this Jew-baiting gas bag is.
From the way the Armenians are feeling. Or is an apology due only when it's demanded of Israel?
Armenians and more percentage of Lebanese were in those demonstrations.The turks "hang until death" over 30 Lebanese in Martyr's square in 1923.The LEBANESE who knew about the turkish atrocities on their parents were all there against Ergodan
The Ottomans left prior to World War I ended, by 1923 Lebanon was mandated to France
The Ottomans did. Grab a brain people.
They have not right to speak for Lebanon,firstly they are foreigners at lebanon,and Lebanon is not Amrenia,second they don´t represent Lebanon.
Funny, that's what you people accuse Israel of, yet Israeli Arabs have full rights and are not considered "foreigners" in Israel. And yet, you describe Lebanese citizens of Armenian descent as "foreigners".