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October 03, 2011
CNN Corrects Mistranslation of Erdogan
CNN's Fareed Zakaria last night aired the following correction, noting that the network mistakenly translated a statement by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan in a Sept. 25, 2011 interview concerning the number of Palestinians killed by Israelis:
One note about last week's interview with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan before we get on with the show. The translation heard on the show had Mr. Erdogan saying that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had been killed by Israel. That's how Mr. Erdogan own official translator translated his boss' words. We had an outside translator to check the translation, and that's how she translated it, as well. There was critical reaction to the remarks, including from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu who told the "Jerusalem Post" that Israel, quote, "Certainly has not taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians," unquote. That prompted us to seek a new translation and a re-examination of the tape shows that Mr. Erdogan actually said, quote, "Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed," unquote. Not, "hundreds of thousands." We hope this clarifies the matter, and we regret the error.
The Jerusalem Post's article about the mistranslation is here.
Here is the Sept. 26 interview:
Posted by TS at October 3, 2011 07:12 AM
Comments
Have you verified that? Because I for one do not believe that fascist madman WAS mis translated.
Posted by: Empress Trudy at October 3, 2011 09:28 AM
"Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed," Also makes it seem as if Israel is a blood thirsty country which is also a srtetch and a blood libel.
During all the wars between Israel and the Arab counties less than fifty thousand Arab soldiers were killed while Israel suffered less than 10 thousands.
However the percentage of casualties in relation to troops engaged Israel suffered more than the Arabs.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/casualties.html
Like wise the conflict between the Palestinian Arabs and Israel which was an extension of the greater conflict between Arabs and Israelis the number of casualties was much lower than Erdogan stated: less then ten-thousand Palestinian and fifteen hundred Israelis died.
Seen in relation to casualties in wars and conflicts among Arabs countries the numbers are a mere blimp. In Algeria alone during the 1990's civil conflict more than seventy thousand people were killed.
Turkey itself in its conflict with the Kurds has killed over ten thousands people.
A little more humility on the part of Erdogan would be appreciated.
Posted by: jacob arnon at October 3, 2011 01:02 PM
I WROTE3ZAKARIA THE FOLLOWING:
DEAR MR. ZAKARIA,
I HAVE ALWAYS RESPECTED YOU AS A JOURNALIST AND AN HONEST MAN. THAT WOULD PUT THE BURDEN ON YOU TO BE THOROUGH IN YOUR FACTS AND VERY STERN WITH YOUR PANELISTS WHEN THEY ARE BOMBASTICALLY LYING. I THOUGHT IT WAS YOUR JOB TO GET TO THE ESSENCE OF YOUR INTERVIEWEE WITH CLEVER QUESTIONING. THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU DID WITH ERDOGAN OF TURKEY WHO HAS COME UPON THE WORLD AS A BRAYING ASS. EVEN IF THERE WAS A MISTRANSLATION OF WHAT HE SAID, THE CORRECTION STILL DOES NOT RELIEVE YOU OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF MATTERS BECAUSE HIS REMARKS WERE INSULTING AND LIBELOUS. .
LET US SAY THAT WHAT ERDOGAN REALLY SAID-WAS "HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS WERE KILLED" (BY ISRAELIS). IF YOU WERE HONEST AND COURAGEOUS, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE LET HIM GET AWAY WITH WITH HIS LIES. YOU SHOULD HAVE PINNED HIM DOWN AS TO WHERE HIS STATISTICS CAME FROM. TENS OF THOUSANDS? AS AN 'HONEST' JOURNALIST, IT WAS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CALL HIM ON HIS WORDS AND SHOW HIM UP FOR THE LYING OPPORTUNIST HE REALLY IS. YOU REALLY LET HIM OFF THE HOOK!
LET'S BE HONEST, MR. ZAKARIA. YOU WOULD NEVER LET NETANYAHU GET AWAY WITH WITH SUCH SHENANIGANS.
SHAME ON YOU.
Posted by: ruth lande at October 8, 2011 08:53 PM
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