Turkey canceled joint military exercises with Israel and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after pro-Palestinian activists were killed when Israeli marines boarded aid ships bound for Gaza.
With several Turks reported to be among the dead, thousands of people converged on Taksim Square in downtown Istanbul to voice anger at Israel’s use of force and pray for the dead.
“This attack is another sign of the reckless levels that the Israeli government’s violent policies have reached,” Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said in a televised speech.
PHOTO: AFP
As many as 19 people were killed when firing broke out after Israeli commandos stormed one of six ships in a convoy that was organized by, among others, a Turkish human rights organization.
Arinc said as many 400 Turks were among the nearly 600 people on board the Mavi Maramara, the Turkish cruise vessel where the firing broke out.
The Israeli action could prove a death knell for an alliance between the Jewish state and Muslim but secular Turkey.
A breakdown in their relationship would pose problems for the US, as the alliance between the two regional military heavyweights helps US strategy in the Middle East.
Ties had come under increasing strain over the past year, due to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s repeated criticism of Israeli policy toward Palestinians.
Standing in for Erdogan, who was rushing back from an official visit to Latin America to deal with the crisis, Arinc said: “We condemn Israel’s attack at the highest level.”
He said Turkey, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, had called for an emergency meeting.
The Security Council said last night it would hold an emergency session this afternoon to discuss the matter.
He also said Ankara’s ambassador to Israel had been recalled, three planned military joint exercises had been canceled and he demanded that the seized ships be released and that Turkey be allowed to airlift wounded nationals back home.
The ships were carrying 10,000 tonnes of medical supplies, housing material and other aid to Gaza. Turkey had urged Israel to allow them safe passage.
In an earlier statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry called the Israeli action unacceptable, a breach of international law and warned of possible “irreversible consequences in our relations.”
A number of countries, including Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece and Iran, condemned the raid, while in London Amnesty International called for an independent investigation into what it called Israel’s use of “excessive force.”
The US said it “deeply regrets” the loss of life during the raid and was looking into the details of the incident, the White House said.
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