Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that naval warships will accompany aid flotillas to the Gaza Strip after the country downgraded its diplomatic ties with Israel last week.
“We have humanitarian aid to be sent there. And our humanitarian aid will not be attacked anymore, as happened to the Mavi Marmara,” Erdogan told Al Jazeera television in an interview. Turkey downgraded diplomatic relations after Israel refused to apologize for the killing of nine Turkish activists aboard the Gaza-bound ship in May 2010.
Israel has expressed regret for the incident but said its forces acted out of self-defense, as it has a naval blockade around the Gaza Strip. These newest tensions were sparked by a United Nations report leaked last week. The report said the Israeli blockade is a reasonable security measure to prevent weapons from entering the country. However, the report said Israeli commandos acted with excessive force when they attacked the flotilla ships.
“Turkish warships will be tasked with protecting the Turkish boats bringing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip,” Erdogan added. The Turkish government has already announced it will increase patrols in the Mediterranean.
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said Turkey’s plans are “harsh and serious” but that Israel does not want to get involved in “any verbal sabre-rattling,” according to Reuters.
"Our silence is the best response. I hope this phenomenon will pass," he said.
Meridor said the Gaza blockade will not be removed. “Turkey, which claims that Israel is not above international law, needs to understand that neither is it,” he said, adding, “A U.N. committee has determined that the blockade is legal.”
