Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was given a warm reception on his three-day visit to Egypt, meeting with its new military chief. During a 30-minute speech at the Arab League, he was interrupted several times by foreign ministers’ clapping and applause.
Erdogan has dramatically stepped up Turkey’s influence in the Middle East as the region is swept by revolts and uprisings. At the same time, many Arabs have cheered his increasingly confrontational stance against Israel.
Angered by Israel’s refusal to apologize over the deaths on a Turkish flotilla to Gaza last year, Turkey suspended military ties with Israel, expelled top Israeli diplomats, pledged to support the Palestinians’ statehood bid and vowed to send the Turkish navy to escort Gaza-bound aid ships in the future.
Israel “must pay the price for the crimes it committed,” Erdogan said in his speech to the Arab foreign ministers.
“It (Israel) acts irresponsibility and without hesitation in smashing the human dignity and international law by carrying assaults on international convoys which carry nothing but food and toys for children,” Erdogan said.
Such assaults, “threaten the Israeli nation,” he said. “The Israeli people became a besieged nation.”
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor refused to comment on Erdogan’s address. Israel has defended its raid on the flotilla, saying its troops were attacked by passengers as they boarded and were defending themselves. Last week, Israel expressed regret for the loss of lives aboard the flotilla and said it was time for the two countries to restore their former close ties.
A UN report into the raid, released earlier this month, said Israel’s naval blockade was legitimate but accused Israel of using “excessive and unreasonable” force in the raid.
Erdogan also voiced his support for the Palestinians’ initiative to win recognition of statehood from the United Nations, and said “this is not an option but a necessity.”
Erdogan will also visit Tunisia and Libya, two other countries where popular uprisings have ousted autocratic leaders. He had hoped to be able to cross into Gaza from Egypt, but government officials said Sunday his scheduled would be limited to these three countries.
