Category: Israel

Turkey wants names of Israelis who stormed flotilla

Turkey wants names of Israelis who stormed flotilla: report

(AFP) – 1 day ago

ISTANBUL — Turkish officials have asked Israel for the names and addresses of the soldiers who led a raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla that killed nine Turks last May, a pro-government newspaper said Saturday.

Turkey’s top prosecutor sent a letter to Israeli officials asking for the identities of both the soldiers who stormed the Turkish flagged Mavi Marmana and the political and military leaders involved in the operation, according to the Zaman newspaper.

The letter was transmitted through Turkey’s justice and foreign ministries, the paper said.

The request is part of Turkey’s ongoing investigation for premeditated murder, which has already implicated Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defence minister Ehud Barak and foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman.

The Mavi Marmana, dispatched by the Turkish humanitarian organisation IHH was stormed by Israeli forces on May 31 in international waters as it approached Gaza, hoping to breach a blockade on the area imposed by Israel.

Nine Turkish nationals were killed in the operation, including one person who also had US citizenship.

Israel’s action provoked widespread international condemnation and Turkish President Abdullah Gul said bilateral relations between the two countries “would never be the same again.”

In January, an Israeli inquiry ruled that the raid was in keeping with international law.

Ankara said it was “stunned and dismayed” by the finding.

Another aid convoy, which includes the Mavi Marmana, is expected to set out for Gaza in late June.

Last month Israel expressed concern over the planned mission, calling it an “incitement to violence.”

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via AFP: Turkey wants names of Israelis who stormed flotilla: report.

May 15, 2011
U.S. Congress members to Turkey’s Erdogan: Stop Gaza flotilla

36 members of the U.S. House sign letter addressed to Turkish PM urging him to stop another attempt ‘to provoke a confrontation with Israel.’

By Natasha Mozgovaya

Members of the U.S. Congress issued a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday in which they urge Turkey’s premier to stop the departure of another flotilla to the Gaza Strip.

“We write today to express our serious concern over reports that the so-called Free Gaza Movement and the IHH are planning to send another flotilla to Gaza in the coming weeks to provoke a confrontation with Israel”, read a signed letter by 36 members of Congress initiated by Rep. Steve Israel.

The Mavi Marmara, aboard which Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla resulted in the deaths of 9 Turkish activists May 22, 2010 Photo by: AP

“As members of the United States House of Representatives we ask you to help discourage these efforts and work with the Israeli government in a productive way as it continues to allow legitimate aid, but not weapons, to enter Gaza.”

The letter further stressed that the Israeli government has “a right and responsibility” to protect its people, emphasizing that the “threat facing Israel by weapons smuggled into Gaza is real.”

Congress members urged Erdogan to stop the flotilla from departing in order to prevent another confrontation such as last May’s from happening again.

“If flotilla organizers carry out their confrontational plans, the Israelis will have little choice but to board the vessels and search for weapons. We fear violence could erupt just as it did last year,” the letter warned.

The letter signatories expressed hope that the Turkish government will work out with Israel an alternative way to allow “legitimate humanitarian assistance” into Gaza.

“By finding a constructive solution as an alternative to another flotilla, you have a unique opportunity to potentially save lives and be a force for stability at a particularly volatile time,” the letter concluded.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Erdogan said in an interview with U.S. television late Wednesday that Hamas is not a terror organization but a political party. He also said the recently penned Palestinian reconciliation agreement was an essential step toward Mideast peace.

via U.S. Congress members to Turkey’s Erdogan: Stop Gaza flotilla – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

May 13, 2011
Turkey’s Erdogan: Hamas is a political party, not a terrorist group

Hamas is not a terror organization, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with U.S. television late Wednesday, saying he felt the recently penned Palestinian reconciliation agreement was an essential step toward Mideast peace.

Erdogan’s comments came one day after Hamas Gaza strongman Mahmoud Zahar said that while his organization would accept a Palestinian state within 1967 borders, it would never recognize Israel, as a result of the damage such a move would do to Palestinian refugees in the “diaspora.”

Erdogan Turkey – 8.02.2011 – AP Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at parliament in Ankara, Turkey, February 8, 2011 Photo by: AP

Senior Israeli officials, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have voiced opposition to Fatah’s new unity deal with Hamas, saying that a Palestinian government that included a terrorist group calling for Israel’s destruction could not be a partner for peace.

Speaking to Charlie Rose on Wednesday, however, the Turkish PM chimed in on the recently achieved unity agreement between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, indicating that he did not feel Hamas was an obstacle in achieving Mideast peace.

“Let me give you a very clear message, I don’t see Hamas as a terror organization. Hamas is a political party — it emerged as a political party that appeared as a political party,” Erdogan told Charlie Rose, adding: “it is a resistance movement trying to protect its country under occupation.”

Going further, the Turkish PM said the world should not “mix terrorist organizations with such an organization, and they entered into the elections,” adding that Hamas “won the elections, they had ministers, and they had parliament speakers who were imprisoned by Israel, about 35 ministers and members of parliament in Israel prisons.”

“Where is terrorism? They entered into the elections and after the elections this is how they were reacted, I mean, calling them terrorists, this would be disrespect to the will of the Palestinian people,” Erdogan added.

Referring to the impact the unity agreement Hamas signed with Fatah, Erdogan said: “I am very pleased with what had happened. I am very pleased. Let me express it very clearly, because this is what we wanted to see for many years.”

The Turkish PM added that “if peace will come to Palestine, if peace will come to Middle East, this will start from the internal peace in Palestine, and then and this target ahead will be discussed much more — much effectively. I discussed it with Tony Blair when he was chairing this Quartet.”

Erdogan also referred to ongoing diplomatic tensions with Israel, a once stable relationship that has been descending in a downward spiral ever since Israel’s Gaza war against Hamas and the raid by Israeli forces on a Turkish Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

“This is absolutely certain. I mean, to this, embargo, three things: apology, compensation, and lifting of embargo on Gaza. It has to be lifted,” Erdogan said.

“We in the Middle East, we are a country that’s accepted the statehood of Israel and Palestine,” the Turkish PM said that his recommend “this to everybody, we defend this.”

“And we bring together the sides. We believe that we can. But, of course, we need everybody should know their limits, their borders, and then we can take these steps,” Erdogan said.

via Turkey’s Erdogan: Hamas is a political party, not a terrorist group – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

May 13, 2011
Netanyahu’s Military Adviser Skips Visit to U.K. Over Fears He’d Be Arrested on “War Crimes” Charges…

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s military secretary, Maj.-Gen. Yohanan Locker, did not accompany Netanyahu on his trip to London last week, out of concern he might be arrested there, Channel 1 reported.

Locker is a permanent member of Netanyahu’s entourage, but he was warned that since the British law on universal jurisdiction had not yet been changed, he might be detained upon landing in the UK over alleged war crimes that human rights groups have accused Israel of committing during Operation Cast Lead.

Locker – who accompanies Netanyahu everywhere he goes, inside Israel and out – opted out of the Prime Minister’s entourage after he received a recommendation to do so. Locker was the chief of staff of the Israel Air Force in operation Cast Lead and would therefore be a prime target for anti-Israeli “lawfare” abroad.

In 2009, Tzipi Livni reportedly canceled a trip to England out of similar concerns. Livni was foreign minister during Cast Lead.

British law allows private citizens to secure arrest warrants for visiting foreign officials whom they accuse of war crimes or crimes against humanity. Pro-Hamas activists have been trying to use this law to harass Israeli officials who travel to London.

The British government under Prime Minister David Cameron has begun to enact legislation to curb British magistrates’ powers of “universal jurisdiction,” making it impossible for a private British citizen to have a foreign official arrested without government cooperation. An amendment to this effect was approved by the House of Commons in April and has been sent to the House of Lords for final approval.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)

May 8, 2011
Turkey, a Regional Mediator

Letters to the International Herald Tribune

Turkey, a Regional Mediator

Published: May 1, 2011

Regarding “The revolution’s missing peace,” (Views, April 22): There could be several reasons why President Abdullah Gul of Turkey would like his government to help Israel in reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians and the Arab world.

Turkey has already established itself as a so-called soft-power giant of the Middle East. The country is anchored to the Arab world by common Islamic values, to Russia by pragmatic cooperation, and to the West by its membership in NATO, but not to the generally ineffective foreign policy of the European Union.

Moreover, progress on achieving a peace settlement would qualify Turkey to be mediator on other political issues affecting the security and prosperity of a wider region — notably, the issues of the future governance of Libya and Syria, Iran’s nuclear program, the complex problems in the Caucasus, and the Afghanistan exit strategy.

It is to be hoped that Israel and the United States will consider Mr. Gul’s proposal.

Xiao Ling, Singapore

via Turkey, a Regional Mediator – NYTimes.com.

May 2, 2011
Turkey to Israel: Ankara Has No Control Over Gaza Flotilla

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has told Israel not to attempt to stop an upcoming supply flotilla to Gaza next month.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday, Davutoglu said Israel should not repeat “the same mistake” it made last May by preventing an earlier supply flotilla from reaching Gaza last May. He said that no one nation owns the Mediterranean.

Turkey said it had received a request from Israel to help stop a flotilla to Gaza scheduled for late next month by the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement, but the government said it could not stop them. The activist group says it is hoping to have 15 ships in what it calls the Freedom Flotilla 2.

Last year’s incident began when a six-ship flotilla with 10,000 tons of supplies ignored Israeli warnings and tried to break its three-year-old blockade of Gaza.

Israel’s military says its forces intercepted the flotilla, and commandos opened fire in self-defense when they were attacked by the activists. Nine Turkish activists were killed and seven Israeli soldiers were wounded.

Relations between Israel and former ally Turkey have been strained since the incident. Turkey has laid out a set of conditions to help normalize relations between the two countries, including an apology and compensation. Israel has refused to apologize.

via Turkey to Israel: Ankara Has No Control Over Gaza Flotilla | Middle East | English VOA.

April 27, 2011