Erdogan renews call for Israel apology
December 21, 2010 - 0:0
The Turkish premier has criticized the US and EU for not standing against Israel over its violations of international laws, while renewing his call on Tel Aviv to apologize for killing Freedom Flotilla activists.
“We expressed our utmost regret over this stance,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with the Syrian Arab News Agency when asked about the U.S. and EU stance over the Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy, which left nine Turkish activists dead and scores of others injured.“We expected a different stance from these countries that claim to be pioneers of basic freedom and defend human rights, seeking to appear as the only one struggling for these values and rights,” he added.
On May 31, Israeli commandos stormed an aid convoy, which was to deliver humanitarian supplies to 1.5 million impoverished people of Gaza, in international waters.
The bilateral relations between Turkey and Israel reached their lowest ebb ever following the incident.
Erdogan pointed out that it was very clear to everyone that Israel did not respect international laws and human rights, which was recorded by the independent UN committee.
The U.S. and the EU took a stance based on pure political calculations, which proves to everyone how these countries do not hesitate to take biased stances even in cases related to the right to live and human rights, the Turkish premier argued.
Erdogan once again reiterated that Israel must make an apology over the killing of the Turkish activists, saying the resumption of relations with Israel is linked to Tel Aviv's apology to Ankara and paying compensations.
He insisted that there are no changes in the Turkish demands regarding the Israeli aggression against the humanitarian aid ships to the besieged Gaza Strip.
(Source: Press TV)
Photo: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan -