Why is the Turkish Prime Minister is so popular in the Arab/Muslim world?

Renaud Sarda,  26/11/2010 While watching Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan address thousands of Lebanese on TV, I became very curious about the feelings of the Israeli and American agents who were I am sure somewhere amongst the crowd listing to his speech and taking note of the crowd adoration of a newly found leader of the Muslim world. Is history repeating itself? Are we looking here at the new Gamal Abdel Nasser who was a pivotal figure in the recent history of the Middle East, and played a highly prominent role in the 1956 Suez Crisis. Nasser has been described as the first leader of an Arab nation who challenged what was perceived then as the western dominance of the Middle East. Nasser remains a highly revered figure in both Egypt and the Arab world.

Has the Israeli administrations especially made a big mistake in getting into a confrontation with Erdoğan and Turkey who was not long ago a close and friendly nation to Israel...  From what I found out through few researches that Erdoğan knows Lebanon well, and I can say clearly say there is not a single Muslim foreign leader out there who can address such a big crowd in Lebanon as he did. Why?  Is Erdoğan so popular in the Arab world and specially in Lebanon? Undoubtedly, Islam is one of the most important factors in Turkey's internal politics, but it is not the most important. In Erdoğan’s rising popularity in the Muslim world lies another factor, one not contingent on his Muslim background but his ability to challenge the US and Israel lately as did Gamal Abdel Nasser previously. One can even claim that this factor plays the most important role, and in addition being a Sunni Muslim puts well ahead of the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is seen as a radical Muslim Shiite within the large majority Sunni in the Muslim world. Erdoğan for his part has never turn his back to the West and aims to marry circular Islam with Western civilisation in his country just like the Arab world who also wants to Westernise but also cares about preserving its Islamic values while doing this. A recent speech of Erdoğan; "You are asking us to remain silent while you enter Lebanon with the most advanced tanks and destroy schools and hospitals," Erdogan said as he spoke about Israel. He made his comment during a speech at the Annual Arab Banking Conference in Beirut. “We in the region will unite and grow for what’s right and for the rule of law, and we will stand in the face of the wrongdoers and in the face of the wrongdoing,” the Turkish leader added. “We will say this strongly in the face of the murderers, yes, your are murderers. Trust fully that we will raise our voices high against the tyranny, and continue to defend what’s right as long as there are people working in piracy on the high seas; and we will defend the rights of the innocent and oppressed.”