Turkey backs Palestine 'unconditionally'

Fri Sep 23, 2011

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells the United Nations General Assembly that Ankara will unconditionally support the Palestinians' proposal for recognition by the UN.

"Turkish support for the recognition of the state of Palestine is unconditional,” Erdogan said on Thursday, addressing the General Assembly's 66th annual session in New York, the Associated Press reported.

Turkey's backing has come as a big boost for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is planning to submit a formal bid for Palestine's membership in the world body on Friday.

The Turkish premier also called on Israel to lift 'the illegal blockade enforced against the people of Gaza.' Israel laid the siege on Gaza in June 2007, starting to deprive some 1.5 million people in the coastal sliver of food, fuel, and other necessities.

Last year, Israeli commandos attacked Mavi Marmara, the flagship of the Freedom Flotilla, an aid fleet, which had set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, in international waters and killed nine Turkish activists.

Erdogan used the speech to ask Tel Aviv again to make amends.

"Our demands from Israel are clear. Israel must apologize, pay compensation to the families of our martyrs, and lift the embargo, the blockade on Gaza. Until Israel meets these demands and takes steps in this direction, our position will not change."

Turkey recently downgraded the bilateral diplomatic relations, expelled the Israeli ambassador from Ankara, and suspended all military ties with Israel.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/200696.html.