' Diplomatic relations ' degraded to the lowest level possible, resulting in the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador in Turkey, Gabby Levy, and his Deputy, Ella Afek. Is the iraconda reply announced by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at a press conference in Ankara to news published today by the New York Times on the report of the UN Commission that investigated the Israeli raid against the Freedom Flotilla, in May 2010. In the raid, led by special units of the Israeli Navy against the convoy of ships headed to Gaza to break the embargo, lost their lives in the Ihh 9 Turkish activists, non-governmental organization of religious inspiration, which had been among the main funding of the Flotilla.The Turkey had repeatedly asked the Israeli Government official apology and compensation for the families of the nine activists killed. Israel has always answered that the blitz was a response to the threat to national security posed by the Flotilla.
According to the New York Times, which took in advance of the report, the conclusion of the Commission led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer is that Israeli commandos boarding the ships of the Flotilla, and in particular the flagship, the ship Flotilla, met a violent and organized resistance that has driven to use weapons for self-defense. Three soldiers were captured, maltreated and put at risk by passengers. Some others were wounded. However, the report says: "the Israeli decision to board vessels so far away from the area of the block (the blitz occurred in international waters, to 72 miles from the coast) and without any final warning signal before boarding, appears excessive and irrational." Although the commandos have acted in self-defense, the report says: "the majority of participants in the flotilla had no violent intentions, but there remain serious doubts about the true nature and the real objectives of the organizers, in particular the Ihh '.
However, this is the most politically controversial point, the report also concludes that the naval blockade carried out by the Israeli Navy against the Gaza Strip is legal, because volto to prevent the illegal import of weapons. Positive reactions to the conclusion of the report coming from Israel, Davutoglu said that Turkey's position is that the blockade of Gaza is illegal: "Ankara will do everything possible to assert their own interpretation of the meaning of international waters in the Mediterranean», Davutoglu added.
The retaliation Turkish does not stop here. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Davutoglu has also announced that will be reviewed military cooperation agreements between Israel and Turkey (excellent partners in the defence sector, with mutual benefit), as well as the initiation of legal action against the blockade in Gaza at international courts. The families of the victims, however, will be the Turkish Government to provide unspecified help.
The sanctions, however, are still frozen. The Palmer report is published today, Davutoglu said that this is the last chance for Israel to make their excuses. In the absence of these, triggered the ' plan B ' prepared by the Turkish diplomacy, which could reach up to block the trade between the two countries, which stood at billions of dollars each year.
The story of Freedom Flotilla 2010 had plunged the once excellent Turkish-Israeli relations at all-time low. Only in recent months, the impact of the Arab revolt, and especially the situation in Syria, the two countries had begun a shy rapprochement, party by cooperation in the military sector. The report now threatens to freeze Palmer of new bilateral relations, in a particularly delicate moment for Israel. Narrow by social protests – tomorrow in Tel Aviv is a great demonstration against the expense – the Government of Benyamin Netanyahu prepares to face, between late September and mid October, the UN vote on the request for recognition of a Palestinian State. A Turkey angry and ready to campaign for the NPC is not exactly what we wanted. So much so that the Israeli Government had asked him to postpone for a further six months the publication of the report. Despite the findings give reason to at least partially Israeli, in this international climate also a balanced relationship risks becoming an boomerang.
Joseph Zarlingo
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