ANKARA (Combined Sources)–Turkey has accused Israel of state-sponsored terrorism while describing Monday morning’s Israeli attack on a fleet of ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“This action, totally contrary to the principles of international law, is inhumane state terrorism. No one should think we will keep quiet in the face of this,” Erdogan said. He added that this attack openly and in a clear way displayed that Israel does not want peace in the region.
Erdogan made his remarks speaking to reporters in Chile during a visit to Latin America, which he cut short to attend to the crisis. In comments carried live on television, he said Turkey is seeking information about casualties and has demanded the release of all ships and passengers. Israel’s armed forces said its commandos killed at least 10 people after encountering resistance when boarding the ships.
“Turkey will not remain silent in response to inhuman state terror,” Erdogan said, calling on Turks to keep their emotions in check. The government has withdrawn the Turkish ambassador to Israel and will announce more details of its response when he returns to Ankara tomorrow, the premier said. The prime minister also rejected claims that Turkey’s Jewish community was under any danger, adding that Turkey’s Jewish citizens will be protected by the state.
The assault on the six ships of the flotilla, three of them Turkish-registered, has widened the rift between military allies Turkey and Israel that began with Israel’s offensive on the Gaza strip in 2008. The United Nations Security Council, of which Turkey is a temporary member, will discuss the issue today.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak expressed regret over the deaths and blamed the organizers of the aid convoy and participants for starting the violence.
Erdogan said Israeli statements that the passengers on the vessels were armed were “lies” and that Turkey aims to make protests with international bodies including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He said it still wasn’t exactly clear what took place on the ships.
“The process from now on will be determined by the stance Israel adopts,” he said. Turkey shouldn’t respond emotionally, describing non-violent anti-Israel protests that took place in Turkey Tuesday as “exemplary.”
Erdogan said Turkey will continue to monitor and assess the situation throughout the week.
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Erdogan committed a provocation against Israel, pursuing several goals – to gain Arab world countries and Iran’s trusts, obtain dividends among the electorate on the threshold of the parliamentary elections.
Instead of accusing Israel, he’d better shut his mouth.
I hope Netanyahu will remind him that turks committed genocide against Armenians and other minorities and the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution will be adopted in the Israeli Parliament very soon.
Oops. Of course I meant the Turkish ISRAELI Reconciliation Commission (TIRC).
Hard to get TARC out of my head, ya know?
Netanyahu,a converted American, will only work for Israel,nobody else.thinking otherwise is naive.
The pot calls the kettle black – Erdogan criticizing Israel.It`ll be interesting to see what putin & medvedev will say on the subject and who,besides turkey & the arabs & faggoty international avedis type left inspred this anti-israeli provocation.
Are the Turks really serious? Between the Isreali parliament and the anti-defamation league turning a blind eye to historical fact and then Isreal apooigizing over a couch,I hardly think the Turks got a lot to worry about.Except when the Isreali air force takes out the Turkish missle sights in Iran.
Dubble moral.
First they Kill one and a half million Armenians in a Genocide, then they treat Kurds and Amrneians today like waste, they are have even occupied half of Cyprys and Western Armenia and NOW” they are talking bullshit about Israel, when they themselves are 1000 worse !!
Shame on Israel, Shame on Turkey and Shame on ISrael again for not beeing on the Armenians side.
There you go Netayahu (or what his name is) Here is what you get from the Turks 😉
Enjoy it !
Since Israel, the ADL, the US, and Turkey were so enamored of TARC and similar “reconciliation” nonsense, let them now start a TIRC (Turkish Israeli Reconciliation Commission).
This is the first (and hopefully) the last time I agree with Erdogan. What Israel did and is doing is state sponsored terrorism. Their daily threats again Iran (no options is off the table) is state terrorism. Imagine if Iran would have attacked a ship carrying citizens of over 30 countries (many European), what would the response of the so called world community be? What would have Clinton said ?
Again let me also tell you that regardless of what Turkey does or says against Israel, the AIPAC will never (never) support a Genocide resolution in the American congress. Israel wants their suffering to be the only one and the greatest one and that is why they are against the resolution of Armenian Genocide.
Look who is talking!
A criminal who killed Armenians, Kurds, Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians, Roumenians, Laz,
Arabs, Cretans, Chyriots, is now accusing others of “State Terrorism”.
Nothing will happen between Turkey and Israel, as they both need each other politically, so this episode will be history in a week or two.
Dear Edward,
Avetis won’t comment for this one for sure.. only “ARF subject” that he is interested…
Israel afraid of Turkey and her politics against Jewish state…Turkey is searching for Ottoman’s seat in Middle East now!! this is a big gamble that AKP party started..EU and US won’t tolerate with Turkey’s new politics and I am sure Russians won’t like that either ..Turkey heading into internal problems in the next few years for sure.. and Kurds will be their nightmares….old allies will be back again, and the faith of “Ottomans” will be in their hands, for one more time..
To sum it up on Grish, I hope we’ll get our Western Armenian lands back from Turkey.
I believe fast-lip erdogan is illusionary; smoking the pipe too long.He needs REHAB.
I trust neither turkey nor israel. It is not about who is right and who is wrong, it is about what is right and what is wrong.Hopefully we soon will reach international recognition of Armenian Genocide. This is not only an armenian issue, it is universal human rights issue. Second,no country in the world had treated its minority so bad as turks did to armenians. Although germans did it too, but it was during the direct war that germans were involved. Turks also were involved in WWI, but it was indirect one. Third, we should always demand our historic lands and sacred Ararat mountain. We got a lots of armenians living in Syria, Lebanon and etc… They can live in this historical lands. I am trying to make a point that we do need those lands.Current Armenia has no resources except stone, but this doesn’t mean we have to afraid to compete with our neighbours militarily. It is said that Israel has the second strongest army in the world, but look at how palestinians are struggling for their freedom….
They will be back in bed together in no time. It’s only a brief lover’s spat.
Dears
Let me tell you some facts about this incident
– The blockade on Gazza forced by Israel is against international laws and UN condemned this blockade countless times
– The Freedom Flotilla was full of peace seeking activists including EU parliement members, around 60 newspaper reporters and a Nobel prize holder. These people from 32 different countries including most of EU countries and USA and of course Turkey
– The Freedom Flotilla activists does not recognize Israel blockade just like UN and almost all EU countries, Turkey, all Arab States. Actually other than Israel and USA, nobody is supporting this blockade.
– UN reports show that Gazza people have only 1/4 of their minimum human needs like food, medicine
– The freeedom Flotilla was full of human aids like food, medicines, toys for children
– Israel unilaterally announced the coastal water right has increased to 70 miles by Israel, just a few days before the incident.
– The incident ocrured 72 miles away from the nearest coast so it happened in the international waters
– Any vessel on international waters legally counts as the territory of the country that the vessel belongs
With the light of these facts let me define the incident: Israel made a military operation to a Turkish vessel in the international waters, during this unlawful military operation Israel army killed at least 10 activists. Because the Turkish vessel legally counts Turkish territory we can fairly say that Israel made a military operation on Turkish lands with breaking all kinds of international laws and killed 10 activists who were standing up against Israel’s internationally condemned blockade over Gazza.
This incident is an explicit example of “casus belli” (situations which international laws give right to a country to declare war).
Let me few words about Israel disinformation.
– People of Freedom Flotilla has right to self defense because what Israel Army tried to do was against law.
– There were around 60 reporters in the Freedom Flotilla so it was full of cameras, and professional cameramans. Indeed some world TVs made live program from the flotilla at the beginning of interception. IDF is showing only their photos, why not all of them ? They forcefully took all equipments of the people of Freedom Flotilla.
– IDF claims that people of the vessel attacked first. It’s ridiculous because Israel made a military operation which is meaning attacking. IDF showed knives and sticks as guns of activists. If we take that true then i would say my kitchen is like an arsenal.
– Soldiers that made the operation was special force of IDF, even i can turn a man who holds a knife to a harmless person in seconds how can not they ? Does killing one that easy ? I would say IDF got used to kill for any reason, just today they killed two Palestinians with the claim that youngsters throwing stones to IDF soldiers.
– Furkan Dogan, who was 19, killed by 5 bullets and 4 of them were on his head. How can one say that it is a self defence ?
You can hate Turkey as a country, you can hate current rulling party of Turkey, you can history of Turkey but i am begging you not to forget your humanity. If you do that, there will be no difference between you and people responsible from genocides.
Anyway, i do not believe Asbarez has gut to publish my comments so i am just hoping that you can keep your humanity against killings without looking who has been killed !
This was a very carefully crafted and a well designed incident orchestrated by Turkey. Intrisically it is not about who is right and who is wrong, it is about what is right and what is wrong. So far Iran is a winner, although Israel claimed that it has the second strongest army in the world, it was unable to attack Iran and West was unable to stop Iran’s alleged WMD program. Turkey afraid of to find himself in the wrong side of the conflict, it is choosing a side. Ironically, this is the same turkey who has free access NATO’s secrets and strategies and West still trust Turkey…
Ilter: nice sentiments.You should then be instrumental trying to make your country SEE th LIGHT–QUIT LYING ABOUT their butchering over a million and a half Armenians.You cant ask forgiveness,and not admit to your crimes.I never knew my grand parents on either side,My father spoke turkish only,a gutteral language similiar to grunting of pigs.Because he was afraid to speak Armenian.They lived a hell,Take away the tears my poor mother used cry in rememberence of the past.Then I will think about foregiveness.I was raised in America,served,never had scared eyes,or looking over my shoulder.
Well if no one will say it I will,Americas’ is chin deep in $^it because it turned it’s back on the worlds 1st Christian nation.I don’t know whos trying harder to start WWIII the Jews or Muslims.Conspiricy theories aside, Turkish and Isreali relations are not going back to business as usual.The Turks are going to side with thier own, not Isreal, when comes taking out Iranian nuclear sights.The fact that Isreal will envolve the US in a war doesn’t register with most Americans.If the US doesn’t wake up to the fact that Iran will achieve nuclear power(weapons) and Isreal will attempt to destroy them,then plan on a war that will make Iraq and Affgan look like a dinner party.Will ARF aid the PKK in an attempt to undermine the Turks? Stay tuned.
To Mr. Ilter,
I thing everybody seems naive to me, regarding the incident between Turkey and Israel.
It was an orchestrated joke to stop the influence of Iran in the region. Turkey wanted to show to the Arabs thay without Turkey nothing could and would happen in the Arab and Muslim world.
Orchestrated? Yes!
Look at scenario.
When the incident occured, nobody was in his respective office:
1) Joe Biden (US vice President) was in Tel Aviv to…. Promote peace. Isreale blew the peace up and gave Obama a splap on the face.
2) Nathaniahu was in Montreal
3) Obama was in Chicago, away from the White House.
4) Some of the Turkish leaders were in different European cities.
5) Instead of sending human frogs under the sea to blow the ships, Israel storm them for a nice Hollywoodian movie.
6) Israel did not wait for the ships full of “aids” to reach Israeli shores. It attacked them in international water to make the event more sensational.
7) Why the “Charitable” German, British and French sailors did not use German or British boats? And Why 85 % of the “peaceful” passangers were Turks? No Nigerian, no Afgan, no Indonisian peacful passangers. Why Turks?
Just to tell Iran that “You are with Hezbullah” but I am with all the Arabs and Muslims. Stay away!”
The Turks are not worried about being eclipsed by Iran geopoliticly.I can only pray that the Iranians wise up to the game that the Turks are playing.If this whole thing was a Turkish-Isreali setup,then what?Will Isreal trust Turkey to keep th Iranians in check?Sounds foolish on Isreals part to even have open relations with Turkey.The Iranians are going to provoke Isreal and thats a fact.The question comes down to whos side will the Russians,Americans,Turks,and yea even Armenia,be on.I can only begin to imagine the horror of what will happen to poor little Armenia in the event of a war started by an Isreali attack on Iran.
Ilter,
“- The blockade on Gazza forced by Israel is against international laws and UN condemned this blockade countless times”
What about the blockade of Armenia forced by turkey? Isn’t it against international laws? Man, how much ignorant you should be to put this argument in an Armenian forums.
Dear Arman;
I can give my arguments about Turkey’s closing borders with Armenia but it’s another discussion.
Please read your comment again, you will understand why i wrote “i am just hoping that you can keep your humanity against killings without looking who has been killed !”
If you try to rationalize every killing on Turkey, if i try to rationalize every killing on Armenian side we will end up with more killings.
We need to talk about peace ! Trying to spread any hatred will not make the world any better for no one !