Breaking: Turkey expels Israeli ambassador

[Martinus]

Turkey expels Israeli ambassador over Gaza flotilla row
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Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu: "Security can only be achieved through genuine peace"

Turkey has expelled Israel's ambassador and suspended all military agreements over its refusal to apologise for last year's raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.

This comes a day after a leaked UN report said Israeli commandos used excessive force when they boarded an aid ship. Nine Turkish activists died.

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said it was "time Israel pays a price for its illegal actions".

Israel has refused to apologise and said its troops acted in self-defence.

"Israel, like any other country, has a legitimate right to protect its citizens and soldiers," an Israeli government official told the BBC.

"Israel has made many attempts in the recent months to settle the dispute between our countries. Unfortunately these attempts were unsuccessful."

'Null and void'

The nine pro-Palestinian activists who died were on board the Turkish-flagged ship, Mavi Marmara, when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters as sailed towards Gaza's coast on 31 May 2010.

The Palmer report was seen by the media in Israel as a rare vindication by the UN.

Crucially it accepted that its naval blockade of Gaza is both legal and "a legitimate security measure" to stop weapons reaching militants by sea.

An Israeli inquiry reached the same conclusion, while a Turkish one found it to be unlawful and a collective punishment of the people of Gaza.

The dilemma that remains for Israeli officials is how to handle the deepening of the rift with their long-time regional ally, Turkey, with which it has trade, military and strategic ties.

This report was meant to mend relations but has achieved just the opposite.

Turkey wants an apology and compensation for the families of the victims. Israel has expressed only regret but may consider payouts. It believes a full apology would demoralise its citizens and project weakness.

At the time, the Israeli military said its commandos fired live rounds only after being attacked with clubs, knives and guns. But activists on board said the commandos started shooting as soon as they hit the deck.

The UN inquiry chaired by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer, whose report was leaked to the New York Times, found the Israeli troops faced "significant, organised and violent resistance from a group of passengers" and were therefore required to use force for their own protection.

But it said Israel's decision to board the vessels "with such substantial force at a great distance from the blockade zone and with no final warning immediately prior to the boarding was excessive and unreasonable".

The report noted "forensic evidence showing that most of the deceased were shot multiple times, including in the back, or at close range".

The inquiry also found Israel's naval blockade "was imposed as a legitimate security measure in order to prevent weapons from entering Gaza by sea and its implementation complied with the requirements of international law".

The report was completed months ago, but its publication was delayed several times as Turkey and Israel attempted to repair their diplomatic relations, which have been frozen since the flotilla incident.

But on Friday, hours before the report was expected to be released, Turkey' announced that diplomatic relations had been reduced to the level of second secretary and all military agreements had been suspended.

Some activists on the Mavi Marmara attacked commandos as they landed on the ship

"The time has come for Israel to pay for its stance that sees it above international laws and disregards human conscience," Mr Davutoglu said. "The first and foremost result is that Israel is going to be devoid of Turkey's friendship."

"As long as the Israeli government does not take the necessary steps, there will be no turning back," he warned.

Mr Davutoglu said the report "displayed the violence committed by the Israeli soldiers", but added that some of its findings were questionable.

"Turkey does not recognise Israel's blockade of Gaza. It will secure the study of this blockade at the International Court of Justice."

Asked to comment on the UN panel's decision not to recommend that Israel apologise, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said: "To be frank, the report is null and void for us."

Hamas, whose decision to seize control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 led to Israel imposing the blockade, applauded the Turkish move.

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The raid on the flotilla has been condemned but the UN has declared Israel's blockade legitimate

"This is a natural response to the Israeli crime against the flotilla," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told the BBC.

The Israeli official said the government accepted with "reservations" the UN report, which it considered "professional, profound and serious".

"During the events of the Mavi Marmara flotilla, Israeli soldiers boarded the boat with non-lethal means. They had no intention to hurt anyone," the official said.

"Once the Israeli soldiers were viciously attacked by dozens of violent IHH activists, armed with batons, knives and steel pipes, the soldiers had to defend themselves," the official added, referring to the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which Israel has banned for supporting Hamas.

"After many of the soldiers were wounded during the operation, nine of the IHH rioters who had endangered their lives were killed."

"As recommended in the report, Israel again expresses regret about the loss of life but will not apologise for acts of self-defence by its soldiers."

The official noted that the Israeli ambassador had finished his posting in Ankara a few days ago, and said Israel assumed that Turkey would "respect the rules of international maritime law in the Mediterranean".

I hope all the people who thought the islamists winning in Turkey was not a bad thing eat their hats now.

[Razgovory]

Why is that, Tim?


Oh and the Israelis could mend fences with Turks easy.  Just declare all Palestinians Armenians.  Problem solved.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

So, does this mean Turkey will finally pay for it's actions against the Kurds?
Cause there's some need for genuine peace there too

[grumbler]

To be frank, the Turkish outrage is null and void for me.

The usual asshattery of politicians declaring that they will only accept investigation results that duplicate what the politicians have decided a priori to be acceptable is nothing new, but also nothing credible.

[LaCroix]

erdogan, why won't someone assassinate you*?

*no, languish, this is not a threat. and neither is "i hope erdogan gets assassinated"

[Tamas]

Yes grumbler, but with the shit going down in Syria, the non-revolution unfolding in Egypt, and Palestine about to be recognized by the UN. NOT GOOD

[Tamas]

erdogan, why won't someone assassinate you*?

*no, languish, this is not a threat. and neither is "i hope erdogan gets assassinated"

I know this is petty, but every Turkish thread after my trashing for hating on erdogan will get a big:
TOLD YOU SO!

Oh and Marty: you were also in the "Erdogan is a liberal and definetly better than the military" camp, so don't act like you didn't wave the flag of the non-existant moderate religious turkish liberal government

[Razgovory]

erdogan, why won't someone assassinate you*?

*no, languish, this is not a threat. and neither is "i hope erdogan gets assassinated"

I know this is petty, but every Turkish thread after my trashing for hating on erdogan will get a big:
TOLD YOU SO!

Oh and Marty: you were also in the "Erdogan is a liberal and definetly better than the military" camp, so don't act like you didn't wave the flag of the non-existant moderate religious turkish liberal government

Isn't he now more in line with most European governments on the Israeli issue?  The more "European" the Turks become, the more anti-Israel they will also become.  Truth be told, the poor relations with Turkey is symptomatic of the Israeli foreign policy of the last few years.  For some unfathomable reason, Israel has been sabotaging it's own diplomacy with both Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

[LaCroix]

he's aligning turkey with the rest of the middle east. it just so happens europeans are allied with muslims in their struggle to annihilate judaism

[Valmy]

Yes grumbler, but with the shit going down in Syria, the non-revolution unfolding in Egypt, and Palestine about to be recognized by the UN. NOT GOOD

When was the last time good news came out of the Middlle East?

[Martinus]

erdogan, why won't someone assassinate you*?

*no, languish, this is not a threat. and neither is "i hope erdogan gets assassinated"

I know this is petty, but every Turkish thread after my trashing for hating on erdogan will get a big:
TOLD YOU SO!

Oh and Marty: you were also in the "Erdogan is a liberal and definetly better than the military" camp, so don't act like you didn't wave the flag of the non-existant moderate religious turkish liberal government

No I wasn't. I have always been wary of his religious bent. I admit I have been in the anti-Israel camp on the flotilla thing, but I've never been in pro-Erdogan camp.

[Sheilbh]

This is sad.   Not just a Turkish thing though, I believe there was internal coalition disagreements in Israel over this.  The US has been pushing for the two sides to reach some sort of a deal, one seemed close until recently but I read (admittedly in Haaretz) that Bibi wanted to apologise, Lieberman and the hardline wanted nothing to do with it - in fact I believe Lieberman has said that the fact it took so long to decide not to apologise is a sign of national weakness.

My understanding is that the Turks have clarified that this whole cancelling of military relations doesn't include existing agreements - but I'm not sure quite how true that is I got it from, I think, Nick Kristoff's Twitter feed.

I still think that the moment when  the Arab world is rising up against long-standing tyrannies is a very good moment to have a three election winning Islamist government in Turkey and I think this could be a real chance for Turkey to use her soft power.

Two things strike me though. 

One is that I've always worried about Erdogan's creeping authoritarianism - unlike most here, though, I see the danger as being that he ends up like Putin not Ahmedinejad - and though he's restrained by now lacking a 2/3rds majority that doesn't seem to have put a stop on that authoritarianism.  What also worries me though is I think Lieberman's coarsening - similarly Putinism - effect on Israel's politics.  It's sad that I think those trends exist at a time when the Mid-East looks ready to dare more democracy.

Second point is where Turkey's foreign policy goes now.  I don't know but they've effectively been told that they're not really welcome in Europe, an error in my view, and are less friendly with Israel.  But their 'zero problems' policy with their neighbours looks in tatters.  They've had a major falling out with Iran over Syria, have really ratcheted up the rhetoric over Syria (though, like Israel, I suspect they probably wouldn't have minded if Assad could have survived, though he probably can't now) and they also have more problems with the Kurds in Syria and Iraq.  From zero problems to problems all over.

[Sheilbh]

Yes grumbler, but with the shit going down in Syria, the non-revolution unfolding in Egypt, and Palestine about to be recognized by the UN. NOT GOOD

When was the last time good news came out of the Middlle East?

Overthrow of Ben Ali, Mubarak, Gadaffi.  Slow-mo collapse of the Syrian regime.  The difficulty Hezbullah's finding itself in due to all of the above.  The emergence of a reasonably credible Palestinian 'state'.  And the difficulty Iran's in with all of the above.

[Valmy]

Yes grumbler, but with the shit going down in Syria, the non-revolution unfolding in Egypt, and Palestine about to be recognized by the UN. NOT GOOD

When was the last time good news came out of the Middlle East?

Overthrow of Ben Ali, Mubarak, Gadaffi.  Slow-mo collapse of the Syrian regime.  The difficulty Hezbullah's finding itself in due to all of the above.  The emergence of a reasonably credible Palestinian 'state'.  And the difficulty Iran's in with all of the above.

It remains to be seen if those things are good news.  They have potential yes..but seeing a few eggs being broken doesn't necessarily mean a tasty omelet is about to be served.

[Sheilbh]

It remains to be seen if those things are good news.  They have potential yes..but seeing a few eggs being broken doesn't necessarily mean a tasty omelet is about to be served.

I think they're all good so far.  We should be happy with 100 million more people not living in dysfunctional totalitarian regimes until it's demonstrated that the alternative really is worse.