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Turkey-Israel Relations Hit New Low As Ankara Expels Ambassador

02.09.2011 15:04

Turkey's already troubled relationship with Israel has plunged to a new low as Ankara announced it was expelling Tel Aviv's ambassador and suspending all military ties in retaliation for last year's deadly raid on a Turkish aid flotilla bound for Gaza.

The move was announced as the United Nations prepared to publish the findings of an investigation into the incident and was portrayed by Turkey as punishment over Israel's continued refusal to apologize.

The Turkish foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, told a press conference in Ankara that the time had come to deprive Israel of Turkey's friendship.

"Today, we reached a point where Israel has spent all chances we have offered," he said. "Now it is time for the Israeli government to pay a price for seeing itself above the law and performing illegitimate actions without taking human conscience into account and this price is being deprived of Turkey's friendship."

He said that meant the drastic downgrading of diplomatic ties and the suspension of once-close military cooperation between the two countries.

"Turkey-Israel diplomatic relations have been reduced to a second secretary level," he said. "All personnel above the second secretary level will return to their countries by [September 7] at the latest. All military agreements between Turkey and Israel have been suspended."

Turkey had set Israel a deadline of September 2 to apologize for the May 2010 incident, in which nine pro-Palestinian activists -- eight Turks and one Turkish-American -- died after Israeli commandoes stormed the "Mavi Marmara," the lead ship in the Turkish aid flotilla.

The flotilla had been attempting to breach the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, run by the Islamist militant organization Hamas, a group which violently opposes Israel's right to exist.

Israel has refused to apologize to Turkey but has offered reparations to the families of the dead and indicated willingness to issue a statement of regret. Turkish officials have dismissed that offer as inadequate.

Davutoglu's announcement came as it emerged that the UN report on the raid had upheld Israel's blockade as legal while condemning it for using unreasonable force against the flotilla.

"Turkey and Israel should resume full diplomatic relations, repairing their relationship in the interests of stability in the Middle East and international peace and security," said the report, a copy of which was leaked in advance to "The New York Times."

The leaked report accepts Israel's position that the naval blockade is a "legitimate security measure." It acknowledges that Israel "faces a real threat to its security from militant groups in Gaza." But it says Israel's use of force was "excessive and unreasonable" and added: "No satisfactory explanation has been provided to the panel by Israel for any of the nine deaths."

However, Davutoglu disputed the report's judgment that Israel was lawfully entitled to blockade Gaza and indicated Turkey would take steps to have the embargo declared illegal under international law.

"Turkey will take all measures which it sees as necessary for freedom of navigation in the eastern Mediterranean," he said. "Turkey does not recognize Israel's blockade of Gaza. It will secure the study of this blockade at the International Court of Justice."

The UN report, which runs to 105 pages, was completed months ago but its publication has been delayed several times as Israel and Turkey attempted to patch up their once-close relationship. Both Turkey and Israel have said the report -- which was intended to help each side mend fences -- will make reconciliation more difficult.

compiled from agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/un_panel_faults_both_sides_gaza_flotilla_clash/24315535.html

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Turkey-Israel Relations Hit New Low As Ankara Expels Ambassador