Turkish PM's popularity in the Arab street attributed to flotilla incident and his role as mediator between Iran and the West.
By JPOST.COM STAFFErdogan flag 311(photo credit: Associated Press)
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was voted "Man of the Year" for 2010 by readers of CNN's Arabic language website on Sunday.Erdogan won the honor by a large margin, receiving 74% of the vote. His nearest competitor was Syrian President Bashar Assad, who received 20% of the vote.RELATED:Above The Fray: When Turkey felt betrayed by IsraelOpinion: From friend to (almost certainly) foeCNN Arabic, based in Dubai, stated that the results of the poll represent the "general mood of the Arab street," which has seen a rise in Erdogan's popularity since the events surrounding the Israeli raid of the Mavi Marmara and the diplomatic tensions between Turkey and Israel that followed.The website adds that Erdogan has been hailed in the Arab world for returning Turkey's allegiance to the East after decades of trying to "join the European club."Erdogan's position as a mediator between Iran and the West was also cited as a key reason for the Turkish prime minister's popularity in the Arab world.He was also seen as important in combatting Syria's isolation in the region that arose in the aftermath of the Rafik Hariri assassination.
