Turkey to take legal battle for Gaza flotilla dead to The Hague

Sep 10, 2011

Istanbul - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan Saturday vowed to carry his country's spat with Israel over last year's killing of Turkish nationals aboard Gaza flotilla ship the Mavi Marmara to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Speaking a convention of businessmen in the central Turkish city of Kayseri broadcast live on Turkey's state news channel TRT Erdogan vowed to continue the legal struggle for justice for the nine people killed on the ship.

'We will carry this struggle to the Hague and the world will again see who is standing alongside the victims,' he said, criticizing Turkish opposition leaders for what he described as 'acting as advocates for Israel'.

Erdogan was also deeply critical of the United States position on the Mavi Marmara incident, relating how he had to point out to US President Barack Obama how the attack had left nine Turks dead from wounds inflicted by 35 bullets mostly fired from close range, one of them an American passport holder.

'I asked President Obama whether the reason he showed no interest in one of his nationals being killed was because (the victim) was (ethnically) Turkish - he didn't reply,' said Erdogan.

However, despite that rhetoric, Erdogan made no repeat mention of his remarks from an interview Thursday with Al Jazeera in which he warned that Turkey could send warships to protect future aid convoys sent to break the Israeli blockade against Gaza.

Turkey's state Anatolian News Agency quoted Erdogan as telling Al Jazeera that 'Turkish vessels are obliged to protect their own ships. We are going to send humanitarian aid to the region. And Turkish vessels carrying humanitarian aid will never be subject to any attack again.'

'Turkey does not make the same mistakes with Israel in the international waters. Turkey's state and military decency do not allow such mistakes.'

Those remarks, the first time that a Turkish official has warned of possible military intervention in the year long spat with Israel, caused international concern when aired late Thursday prompting warnings from both Israel and the US of the possible consequences of escalating tensions between the two former allies.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1662132.php/Turkey-to-take-legal-battle-for-Gaza-flotilla-dead-to-The-Hague.