Israeli Ambassador Expelled By Turkey
Turkey on Friday expelled the Israeli ambassador to Ankara and suspended all military ties with Tel Aviv after a UN report condemned excessive force used by Israel on a Gaza aid flotilla.
“At this point the measures we are taking are: The relations between Turkey and Israel will be downgraded to second secretary level. All officials over the level of second secretary, primarily the ambassador, will turn back to their country at the latest on Wednesday,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said at a press conference.
According to AFP, the Turkish minister counted five measures against Israel as a protest for its failure to fulfill his country’s demands to overcome the crisis. “Second, all the military agreements between Israel and Turkey are suspended,” Davutoglu said.
“Third, as the country with the longest coastline on the Mediterranean, Turkey will take every precaution it considers necessary for the safety of maritime navigation to East Mediterranean,” he said.
Davutoglu said Turkey did not recognize Israel’s right to blockade Gaza and intended to take its protest to The International Court of Justice in The Hague. “For this aim, we are starting initiatives at UN Security Council,” he conveyed.
