Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador to Ankara Friday and suspended all military ties with its one-time ally after a UN report slammed the “excessive” force used in a raid on a Gaza aid flotilla. A day after leaked extracts of the report into last year’s commando raid appeared in the media, Turkey’s foreign minister said Ankara had decided on a series of steps as a mark of protest. And although the report has yet to be released, Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said Ankara would reject it, regarding it as “null and void”.
The Israeli government meanwhile indicated it would accept most of the findings, but claimed vindication over its right to impose a blockade on the Palestinian territory which is run by the Islamist movement Hamas. Turkey pulled its ambassador out of Tel Aviv in the immediate aftermath of the raid and, speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said ties would now be further downgraded.
“The time has come for Israel to pay a price for its illegal actions. This price, first of all, is being deprived of Turkey’s friendship,” he said.
“All officials above the level of second secretary, primarily the ambassador, will turn back to their country at the latest on Wednesday,” he added.
“Second, all the military agreements between Israel and Turkey are suspended.” The foreign minister also said Ankara planned to challenge Israel’s right to impose a blockade on Gaza before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the United Nations’ highest court. The Turkish measures came after a leaked copy of the UN-mandated report criticised Israeli troops for using “excessive” and “unreasonable” force when boarding the ferry Mavi Marmara on May 31, 2010, leading to the deaths of nine people.
