Obama Asked His BFF PM Erdogan For Help To Calm Muslims And Curb Violence In Reaction To "Anti-Muhammad Video".(Memri).
On February 9, 2015, the Turkish daily Today's Zaman reported that the SEA hackers had posted on their website (leaks.sea.sy) a private letter from President Obama to then-prime minister Erdogan on September 14, 2012, noting:[3]
"In the letter, which begins 'Dear Tayyip,' Obama voices his concerns about a possible attack on U.S. diplomats following the release of a short video titled 'Innocence of Muslims' [which was being blamed for the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi three days earlier]. The video has anti-Islamic undertones and it is perceived as denigrating the Prophet Muhammad.
"When the 14-minute video was uploaded to the Internet on Sept. 11, 2012 in Egypt, it led to large-scale protests that were also replicated around the world. As a result of clashes with police, about 100 people were injured and 50 died.
"Obama asked Erdoğan to 'speak out immediately and forcefully before people go to Friday prayers': 'I believe that you are one of the most credible voices in the Islamic world today, and that if people hear you calling for calm and condemning violence it will have a real impact,' stated Obama in his letter to Erdoğan, adding: 'It will be important to emphasize that diplomatic personnel and facilities must be respected and that the way to defend religion is through peace rather than violence.
As people of faith, we have an obligation to prevent the people who did this video provoking a cycle of violence that violates the values that undergird our faith.'"The letter seems to have been sent via e-mail early on a Friday morning in Turkey, just in time for Friday prayers.
"In his letter, Obama also said: 'I understand you are traveling between Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is just after midnight in Washington. I am writing to you because given what has happened in the last two days, there is a very real danger that there could be an escalation of violence on Friday that would be very damaging to our shared interests.'
"Obama then mentioned the video, saying: 'Let me be clear that the U.S. government had nothing to do with it. We reject its message, which entirely contradicts my personal views and the values that America stands for.' Obama then underscored that the U.S. respects Islam and that it is opposed to efforts that offend Muslims by defaming the Prophet Muhammad.
"He added that they could do nothing to block the video, saying that this was not possible 'in this age of technology,' and noted that they are bound by the commitment to free expression.
'Nevertheless, our embassies across the Middle East are at risk and we are deeply concerned that after Friday prayers our people and installations in the region could be vulnerable to attack. We must not let extremists use this video as a pretext to attack America, or our other allies and partners,' Obama wrote.
"Obama ended his letter by thanking Erdoğan and calling him 'my friend,' adding that he looks forward to 'talking again' in a few days' time – when Erdoğan would return to Turkey from abroad." Read the full story here.
And what did Erdogan do?
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