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Subject Time-Sensitive Personal Message from President Obama to Prime Minister ErdoganFrom Sherwood-Randall, Liz [[email protected]]
To Feridun H. Sinirlioglu [[email protected]]; Namik Tan [[email protected]];[[email protected]]
Date September 14, 2012 2:07 PM
Dear Feridun, Namik, and Ibrahim --
I am emailing you a personal message for the Prime Minister. Please do everything you can to expediteits delivery to him as it contains a very time-sensitive request from the President.
Please confirm that you have received this message.
Many thanks,
Liz
PERSONAL MESSAGE TO PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA
Washington, D.C.
September 14, 2012
Dear Tayyip,
I understand you are traveling between Ukraine and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and it is just after midnight inWashington.
I am writing to you because given what has happened in the last two days, there is a very real dangerthat there could be an escalation of violence on Friday that would be very damaging to our sharedinterests.
I am sure you are familiar with the video that has offended so many people around the world. Let me beclear that the US government had nothing to do with it. We reject its message, which entirely contradictsmy personal views and the values that America stands for.
As you know, we respect Islam, and we are opposed to efforts to offend Islam by defaming the ProphetMohammed. But we cannot block this video; it is not possible in this age of technology, and we arebound by our commitment to free expression.
Nevertheless, our embassies across the Middle East are at risk and we are deeply concerned that afterFriday prayers our people and installations in the region could be vulnerable to attack. We must not letextremists use this video as a pretext to attack America, or our other allies and partners.
I believe that you are one of the most credible voices in the Islamic world today, and that if people hearfrom you calling for calm and condemning violence it will have a real impact.
I would ask that you speak out immediately and forcefully before people go to Friday prayers today.
It will be important to emphasize that diplomatic personnel and facilities must be respected and that theway to defend religion is through peace rather than violence.
As people of faith, we have an obligation to prevent the people who created this video from provoking acycle of violence that violates the values that undergird our faith.
I thank you my friend, and I look forward to talking again in a few days’ time when you are at home.
Sincerely,
Barack
From Feridun Sinirlioğlu [[email protected]]To A DAVUTOGLU [[email protected]] ; Gurcan Balik [[email protected]]
Date October 14, 2012 11:09 PM
Sent by BlackBerry Internet Service from Turkcell
