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MINISTER: ISRAEL ACTS LIKE SOMALI PIRATES
Gokhan Kurtaran
Hurriyet, Turkey
Sept 8 2011
Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım (R) is seen during
an interview with Hurriyet Daily News correspondent Gökhan Kurtaran
on Thursday. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GUREL
Israel's raid last year on an aid flotilla in the eastern Mediterranean
Sea was "no different" under international law than what Somali
pirates are doing in the Aden Gulf, Turkish Transportation Minister
Binali Yıldırım said Thursday.
"Israel's act in these waters is no different than the pirates in
the Aden Gulf," Yıldırım told the Hurriyet Daily News during a
meeting in Istanbul, referring to the diplomatic feud between Israel
and Turkey over Israeli commandos' deadly raid May 31, 2010, on a
Gaza-bound aid ship, killing nine Turks.
"Except for the 12-mile coastal shore, the waters are open to
everyone's use. No country has the right to prevent us from using
our law-granted rights," the minister added.
On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey
"will apply all necessary preventive measures in order to ensure
its navigational freedom," noting that the country has the longest
coastline bordering on the East Mediterranean.
Yıldırım on Thursday expressed agreement with Davutoglu's earlier
comment that Israel does not have the right to implement a 20-mile
zone of territorial waters along its shores.
"No one has the right to take over these waters. If they do, they
will get their response from us," the transportation minister said.
Referring to Israel's demand for 20 miles of territorial waters due
to the sea blockade of Gaza, Yıldırım said Israel has the right
to only 12 nautical miles in the eastern Mediterranean. "The way that
Israel is acting by not obeying international law is sea banditry," he
said, adding that Turkey would not accept the unlawful implementation.
"Stretching from Gibraltar Strait to the Gulf of İskenderun, 23
nations have the right to travel freely in [these] international
waters," Yıldırım said.
Accusing Israel of violating international maritime laws, the minister
said "there is nothing we will do about the current situation" as
long as Israel refuses to apologize for the raid on the Mavi Marmara
aid ship.
Israel "will not apologize to Turkey" and will not lift its blockade
on Gaza, Israeli Transportation Minister Israel Katz, said on Israeli
public radio Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli Navy is
"a strategic arm" of the state, adding that "this is a long and
strong arm," daily Hurriyet reported Thursday. His comments followed
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement Tuesday that
Turkish Navy ships would "show up" more frequently in the eastern
Mediterranean.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak played down the diplomatic crisis
with Ankara on Thursday, saying the current dispute "will pass,"
AFP reported. Describing the dispute over Gaza as "spilled milk,"
Barak added, "We are the two countries that are most important to
the West in the region."
Turkey late last week downgraded its diplomatic relations with Israel
to the second-secretary level and suspended all military contracts
after a long-awaited U.N. report on Israel's flotilla raid was leaked
to U.S. media on Sept. 1.
Gokhan Kurtaran
Hurriyet, Turkey
Sept 8 2011
Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım (R) is seen during
an interview with Hurriyet Daily News correspondent Gökhan Kurtaran
on Thursday. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GUREL
Israel's raid last year on an aid flotilla in the eastern Mediterranean
Sea was "no different" under international law than what Somali
pirates are doing in the Aden Gulf, Turkish Transportation Minister
Binali Yıldırım said Thursday.
"Israel's act in these waters is no different than the pirates in
the Aden Gulf," Yıldırım told the Hurriyet Daily News during a
meeting in Istanbul, referring to the diplomatic feud between Israel
and Turkey over Israeli commandos' deadly raid May 31, 2010, on a
Gaza-bound aid ship, killing nine Turks.
"Except for the 12-mile coastal shore, the waters are open to
everyone's use. No country has the right to prevent us from using
our law-granted rights," the minister added.
On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey
"will apply all necessary preventive measures in order to ensure
its navigational freedom," noting that the country has the longest
coastline bordering on the East Mediterranean.
Yıldırım on Thursday expressed agreement with Davutoglu's earlier
comment that Israel does not have the right to implement a 20-mile
zone of territorial waters along its shores.
"No one has the right to take over these waters. If they do, they
will get their response from us," the transportation minister said.
Referring to Israel's demand for 20 miles of territorial waters due
to the sea blockade of Gaza, Yıldırım said Israel has the right
to only 12 nautical miles in the eastern Mediterranean. "The way that
Israel is acting by not obeying international law is sea banditry," he
said, adding that Turkey would not accept the unlawful implementation.
"Stretching from Gibraltar Strait to the Gulf of İskenderun, 23
nations have the right to travel freely in [these] international
waters," Yıldırım said.
Accusing Israel of violating international maritime laws, the minister
said "there is nothing we will do about the current situation" as
long as Israel refuses to apologize for the raid on the Mavi Marmara
aid ship.
Israel "will not apologize to Turkey" and will not lift its blockade
on Gaza, Israeli Transportation Minister Israel Katz, said on Israeli
public radio Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli Navy is
"a strategic arm" of the state, adding that "this is a long and
strong arm," daily Hurriyet reported Thursday. His comments followed
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement Tuesday that
Turkish Navy ships would "show up" more frequently in the eastern
Mediterranean.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak played down the diplomatic crisis
with Ankara on Thursday, saying the current dispute "will pass,"
AFP reported. Describing the dispute over Gaza as "spilled milk,"
Barak added, "We are the two countries that are most important to
the West in the region."
Turkey late last week downgraded its diplomatic relations with Israel
to the second-secretary level and suspended all military contracts
after a long-awaited U.N. report on Israel's flotilla raid was leaked
to U.S. media on Sept. 1.