Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused his Israeli counterpart of "terrorism," compared Israel's crackdown against Palestinians to the Spanish Inquisition and said Israeli actions fuel anti-Semitism. But on Sunday Erdogan, whose party has its roots in Turkey's Islamic movement, heads to the Jewish state in a trip aimed not just at repairing relations but also at boosting Turkey's image in the United States and in Europe, where debate is raging over whether to let Turkey into the European Union.The trip comes as Turkey's ties with key allies are strained, with some in Washington questioning Turkey's role as a strategic ally and Europeans increasingly skeptical about letting Turkey into their club. On top of that, newly elected Pope Benedict XVI is emphasizing the continent's Christian roots. Erdogan "is swallowing his pride in order to regain his lost stature in Washington," said Duygu Bazoglu Sezer, a professor of political science at Ankara's Bilkent University. "He has been quite isolated and his foreign policy successes ... are now a bit tarnished."
A year ago, Erdogan was flying high. The EU agreed in December to give Turkey a date to open accession talks and Turks were so overjoyed that some began comparing Erdogan to Mehmet the Conquerer, the Ottoman Sultan who captured Constantinople and is regarded as one of the greatest Turkish leaders. When Erdogan took office two years ago, relations with the United States were so good that he was quickly invited to the White House and officials showcased him as an example of what they hoped would be the future of the Middle East — a devout Muslim leader who was pro-Western. But those close ties have deteriorated. A request Erdogan made last month for a meeting with President Bush at the White House has not been answered, according to a U.S. diplomat.