Turkish envoy slams opinion piece in daily
WASHINGTON - Anatolia News Agency
US President Barack Obama is seen with his wife and daughters. AP photo
An op-ed that appeared in American daily The Washington Times, “grossly mischaracterize[d] the role of women in Turkey,” Turkey’s ambassador to the U.S. said April 11.“As a proud husband and father, I was shocked to read a recent op-ed in The Washington Times (‘Fathering daughters the old-fashioned way,’ Web, March 27) that maligned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and used an unjustified attack on his beloved daughter to grossly mischaracterize the role of women in Turkey,” Namık Tan said in a response he sent to the daily.
Women treated equally in Turkey
U.S. President Barack Obama was quoted in the original piece as saying, “The bottom line is that we find ourselves in frequent agreement upon a wide range of issues … [and] because he has two daughters that are a little older than mine - they’ve turned out very well, so I’m always interested in his perspective on raising girls,” referring to Erdoğan.
The opinion in the Washington Times said, “Even if Mr. Erdoğan and Mr. Obama share some fatherly opinions about protecting and promoting their daughters, it’s impolitic, at best, to publicly praise a radical Islamist’s point of view on raising girls.” The piece also said, “Most Muslim daughters are forced to accept their status as second-class citizens.” “Contrary to the descriptions contained in that piece, women such as my wife and daughter receive equal treatment under the law in Turkey. They, along with millions of proud Turkish women, are not ‘second-class citizens,’” Tan said.
“Our country serves as a role model for others in the region who seek to promote equality and tolerance. In recent weeks, for example, the Turkish government hosted the International Convention on Gender Equality in Ankara.”
