Turkish PM: Navy ships to escort humanitarian shipments to Gaza

[News_Editor]

Turkish PM: Navy ships to escort humanitarian shipments to Gaza

2011-09-13 10:03:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

ANKARA, TURKEY (BNO NEWS) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Navy ships will be escorting its humanitarian aid vessels to Gaza, local media reported on Tuesday.

"Gaza needs humanitarian aid and Turkey has aid to be sent there," Prime Minister Erdogan was quoted as saying by the National Turk. "And i assure every country of the world our humanitarian aid will not be attacked by Israel anymore like it happened to Mavi Marmara last year," he added.

According to reports, three Turkish frigates from its Navy's Southern Sea Area Command will be deployed with the humanitarian shipments, and if an Israeli military vessel is confronted outside its 12-mile (19-kilometer) territorial waters, Turkish ships have reportedly been ordered to advance up to 100 meters (328 feet) from them in order to neutralize their weapon system.

Tensions have risen between both countries since the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid and Israel's constant refusal to apologize regarding the incident. Last Thursday, Turkish and Israeli senior diplomats left their respective embassies as the two countries officially downgraded their political ties.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄŸlu had previously announced that Israel's ambassador and senior diplomats had been expelled from the country. The announcement was made as Israel has refused to apologize and issue compensations for the families of those killed during the Gaza flotilla raid, as well as end its blockade of Palestinians residing in Gaza.

In May 2010, nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed and dozens more were injured when Israeli commandos boarded a ship participating in the 'Freedom Flotilla I', which was heading to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid on board. The incident caused global outrage over alleged excessive force, but Israel has denied that and said its commandos were being attacked.

A UN report previously stated that the 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." However, it also stated that 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."

Earlier this month, DavutoÄŸlu said Israel has no right to implement a 20-mile (32-kilometer) zone of territorial waters along its shores, as Israel has argued due to the ongoing sea blockade of Gaza. DavutoÄŸlu as a result called for "navigational freedom."

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-13

[Steely Dan]

So let's get this right. Turkey intends to try to break a blockade deemed legitimate by a recent U.N report in order to provide 'aid' to Gaza which is run by a terrorist organization and which already receives more aid per capita than anywhere on earth and actually has an obesity problem.

What else? Yep aid is free to cross via Egypt now the Rafah crossing is open and was in any case always able to cross via Israel providing it was checked first.

In other words Turkey is indulging in premeditated provocation in order to start a war with Israel.

P.S The fact that Israel and Cyprus signed a deal to exploit common gas reserves has nothing whatsoever to do with the Turkish move seeing as their invasion of Northern Cyprus is and has always been viewed as ethnic cleansing so Turkey has no rights whatsoever over this area.

http://www.debka.com/article/21295/

debkafile's military sources report that this is more than a threat of belligerence against Israeli naval shipping; it is also an attempt to dictate the terms of its threatened military engagement at sea with Israel and arbitrarily lay down the outer limits of Israel's territorial waters. One of its goals is to deprive Israel's deep sea gas wells of naval protection.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Steely Dan

[chuckd]

So let's get this right. Turkey intends to try to break a blockade deemed legitimate by a recent U.N report in order to provide 'aid' to Gaza which is run by a terrorist organization and which already receives more aid per capita than anywhere on earth and actually has an obesity problem.

What else? Yep aid is free to cross via Egypt now the Rafah crossing is open and was in any case always able to cross via Israel providing it was checked first.

In other words Turkey is indulging in premeditated provocation in order to start a war with Israel.

P.S The fact that Israel and Cyprus signed a deal to exploit common gas reserves has nothing whatsoever to do with the Turkish move seeing as their invasion of Northern Cyprus is and has always been viewed as ethnic cleansing so Turkey has no rights whatsoever over this area.

http://www.debka.com/article/21295/

debkafile's military sources report that this is more than a threat of belligerence against Israeli naval shipping; it is also an attempt to dictate the terms of its threatened military engagement at sea with Israel and arbitrarily lay down the outer limits of Israel's territorial waters. One of its goals is to deprive Israel's deep sea gas wells of naval protection.

Well said.

[Steely Dan]

, and if an Israeli military vessel is confronted outside its 12-mile (19-kilometer) territorial waters,

Just in case you missed the point, the Palestinians are yet again pawns in a Muslim Country's own agenda, which is to contest the Israeli-Cypriot claim on exploiting common offshore gas fields. By preventing the Israeli navy going further than 12 miles offshore they could not defend the deep sea oil wells from (ahem) terrorist attack.

[flying]

Just in case you missed the point,

I did not think I missed the point of the subject of this article.

Yes of course all kinds of supposition & ulterior motives could be included.

Then again it could just be what it is.

BTW: off topic but I always meant to tell you I saw Steely Dan live

Back around 73-74

Also spoke with Jeff "skunk" Baxter at NAMM in 2000

Great group they were

[Scott]

Where are those darned Somalia pirates when you need them?

[Ulysses G.]

So let's get this right. Turkey intends to try to break a blockade deemed legitimate by a recent U.N report in order to provide 'aid' to Gaza which is run by a terrorist organization and which already receives more aid per capita than anywhere on earth and actually has an obesity problem.

Exactly.

[coma]

The plot thickens. A very interesting 2 to 3 weeks ahead of us here, me thinks.

[JemJem]

Erdogan is out of control. Someone should make him see sense.

Jem

[Wallaby]

I must admit it doesn't sound like the brightest thing to be doing.

Why wouldn't he get the UN to inspect the ship/s to show it was aide. Then ask Israel to allow the ships in because they are aide.

I would have thought something like that would be a better idea, then if Israel kicks up a stink he can go back to the UN and ask for assistance in getting the aide through, and that wold make Israel look bad again......if that's what he wants. Something along those lines anyway.

At a wild guess I'd say that this is not going to end very well for everyone involved.

[Steely Dan]

I must admit it doesn't sound like the brightest thing to be doing.

Why wouldn't he get the UN to inspect the ship/s to show it was aide. Then ask Israel to allow the ships in because they are aide.

I would have thought something like that would be a better idea, then if Israel kicks up a stink he can go back to the UN and ask for assistance in getting the aide through, and that wold make Israel look bad again......if that's what he wants. Something along those lines anyway.

At a wild guess I'd say that this is not going to end very well for everyone involved.

Imho there is something both inevitable and choreographed about this. The burning of the Israeli embassy in Cairo followed by Erdogan whipping up the masses in the same city. Then we have the vote for Palestinian statehood on the 20th. Every single pretext for war is being stacked up. Erdogan is mad as hell not so much about the last flotilla as a bilateral agreement between Israel and Cyprus to exploit gas fields in the Med. This was actually a good move by Israel as it also puts Turkey on a collision course with the E.U if they attack Cypriot interests. If it were not for this I suspect Turkey's nato membership and part in the European anti-missile shield might have been enough to get Obama to throw Israel under a bus.

His moves now transcend logic from a western political perspective but if you are pursuing an Islamist agenda to wipe Israel off the map the best time to strike is probably now. Sadly I would be surprised if war is avoided within the next month.

[Zeid]

the only embarrassing thing about all this is Arabs are sleeping, and doing nothing while the Turks are.

also the comments posted by some that are claiming Gazza people are free and not suffering from anything is just prejudice

why was Berlin wall illegal? why is the wall in Palestine legal?

Supposedly Sadam was did not offer his people the freedom, nor the human rights, but Israel is allowing this, to the Palestinian people?

no the arab leaders are not up to the standard,

yes maybe per capita is getting the most aid per capita per country what is the final dollar value? is it enough to go to rebuild all the constant bombing? hospitals schools? food?

Maybe Mr. Erdogan understand that the only way is to deliver himself, so that the actual aid also arrives to Gaza, so it is not being taken else where,

and didn't Israel already reject the inspection of the UN outside its ports

Denis Halliday had already also inspected the ship

Israel, rejected the UN to probe and investigate the incident

how is concrete a dangerous item?

maybe next item they will ban are bras and panties so that there is no access to rubber bands hence reducing the production of slingshots.

i think comments such the below show Hippocratic characteristics, where you allow one country to do something and others not

what is an islamist agenda? to give people the freedom they want?

Edited September 13, 2011 by Zeid

[JemJem]

His moves now transcend logic from a western political perspective but if you are pursuing an Islamist agenda to wipe Israel off the map the best time to strike is probably now. Sadly I would be surprised if war is avoided within the next month.

I doubt there will be war in the region in the near future. Turkey's economy is relatively good in this period and Erdogan is (unfortunately) already popular in his country (although the Turks who dislike him really hate him but they are not united among themselves). I don't think he would risk war with Israel. Oh, if you are saying he wants to provoke Egypt and others into starting war with Israel, this is a higher possibility but at this stage, unlikely, I think.

However, 2012 might see worse things in the region.

Another reason Erdogan cannot start war with Israel is that the Turkish military is not a big fan of Erdogan and his AKP party because although there have been less secularity-emphasis of the Army in recent months, they (military) are still very much anti-Islamist and would not be dragged into war with Israel.....and also, there is the ongoing Kurdish conflict in the southeast of the country. The Kurdish separatists would strike harder and benefit from a Turkey-Israel war.

Anyway, the situation is already bad enough....there is the risk of Turkey-Israel relations breaking off completely...I think this is what Erdogan wants (at this stage anyway). Don't you agree , Dan ?

Jem

[Steely Dan]

His moves now transcend logic from a western political perspective but if you are pursuing an Islamist agenda to wipe Israel off the map the best time to strike is probably now. Sadly I would be surprised if war is avoided within the next month.

I doubt there will be war in the region in the near future. Turkey's economy is relatively good in this period and Erdogan is (unfortunately) already popular in his country (although the Turks who dislike him really hate him but they are not united among themselves). I don't think he would risk war with Israel. Oh, if you are saying he wants to provoke Egypt and others into starting war with Israel, this is a higher possibility but at this stage, unlikely, I think.

However, 2012 might see worse things in the region.

Another reason Erdogan cannot start war with Israel is that the Turkish military is not a big fan of Erdogan and his AKP party because although there have been less secularity-emphasis of the Army in recent months, they (military) are still very much anti-Islamist and would not be dragged into war with Israel.....and also, there is the ongoing Kurdish conflict in the southeast of the country. The Kurdish separatists would strike harder and benefit from a Turkey-Israel war.

Anyway, the situation is already bad enough....there is the risk of Turkey-Israel relations breaking off completely...I think this is what Erdogan wants (at this stage anyway). Don't you agree , Dan ?

Jem

Here is a good read about Turkey, Egypt and Israel. Actually from what I've read the Turkish economy is about to hit the rails after an artificial boom, as for the army the old heads of all military arms in Turkey are now in jail for supposedly plotting to overthrow Erdogan. He will in my opinion strike as soon as he consolidates power.

http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/islams-stranglehold-israel-5875

The Turks presented this as a result of Israel's refusal to apologize for the armed seizure of the Gaza-blockade-running Turkish flotilla last year. In fact, the gradual dissolution of Turkey's ties with Israel has been in the cards since the Turkish Justice and Development Party under Recep Erdogan took power in 2002. But the Turks played a careful, slow game so as not to rile Washington and the EU. Now that Erdogan has cowed his internal opposition and the Turkish army brass and stabilized Turkey's international position (while taking the measure of President Obama's outreach to the Muslim world), Ankara's Islamists have let their deep anti-Israeli sentiments out of the bag.

http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/islams-stranglehold-israel-5875

[Steely Dan]

the only embarrassing thing about all this is Arabs are sleeping, and doing nothing while the Turks are.

Yes Erdogan is certainly appealing to the Arab street by dropping to it's level.

also the comments posted by some that are claiming Gazza people are free and not suffering from anything is just prejudice

why was Berlin wall illegal? why is the wall in Palestine legal?

Supposedly Sadam was did not offer his people the freedom, nor the human rights, but Israel is allowing this, to the Palestinian people?

no the arab leaders are not up to the standard,

yes maybe per capita is getting the most aid per capita per country what is the final dollar value? is it enough to go to rebuild all the constant bombing? hospitals schools? food?

Don't take my word for it. WHO stats on obesity in Gaza and the Red cross stating recently there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Maybe Mr. Erdogan understand that the only way is to deliver himself, so that the actual aid also arrives to Gaza, so it is not being taken else where,

and didn't Israel already reject the inspection of the UN outside its ports

Denis Halliday had already also inspected the ship

Israel, rejected the UN to probe and investigate the incident

how is concrete a dangerous item?

maybe next item they will ban are bras and panties so that there is no access to rubber bands hence reducing the production of slingshots.

i think comments such the below show Hippocratic characteristics, where you allow one country to do something and others not

If Erdogan wanted to make sure the aid got to Gaza he could send it via Egypt as the Rafah crossing is open. However once in Gaza he could'nt prevent Hamas confiscating it as many NGO's complained of them so doing.

what is an islamist agenda? to give people the freedom they want?

Oops sorry forgot, there are no jokes in Islam.

[Zeid]

Egypt? things might go missing by the time they reach rafah border,

for the islam joking part that is a subject on its own, but living in Arab land and middle east, i have to admit i have no idea what an Islamist agenda ism oh i am also a Muslim, just in case anyone might wonder.

[Zeid]

The title of this thread shows how ridiculous is the islamist way to handle conflicts.

Sink them all.

what do you know of islam?

[Steely Dan]

I think that he is referring to radical Islam and all of the acts of terrorism carried out against innocent men, women and children in its name.

As eloquently expanded on by devout Muslim Zudhi Jasser in his film the Third jihad.

[Jingthing]

Of course there are billions of Muslims in the world and there is great diversity of what that means to the believers. That said, when people use language like radical fundamentalist Islamist agenda they aren't very far off when they assume things like

- literal application of Sharia law (cutting off limbs for theft, murdering homosexuals, stoning women adulterers, supporting militant attacks on western countries, etc.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Jingthing

[geriatrickid]

It would seem that Turkey will either withdraw or be obliged to withdraw from Nato which is what the Turkish government wants to do. Turkey is one of those countries tha came in for criticism from he USAf or its lack of support to Nato. Turkey would't allow US or European overflights or bases to be used in the Afghanistan campaign and it has not been much help with Iran or Syria.

The issue of encroachment on Cypriot territory would bring it into conflict with EU recognized Cyprus (excluding the illegally annexed Turkish part oft he island), with Nato member Greece and with Turkey's unfriendly European regional neighbors of Bulgaria and Romana who have a longstanding hatred of the Turks due to past Turkish invasions.

The 12 mile standard isn't the line and it is likely that the confrontations will occur beyond that point. If Turkey attempts to breach the line, its vessels will be sunk and no one in the west will rush to Turkey's aid. What Turkey is doing is trying to provoke a violent confrontation and it will get that. Israel is being backed into a corner. I wouldn't be surprised if Greek warships show up.

Politics make for strange bedfellows considering the fact that it was the brutal Turkish colonialism and abuse of its occupied arab territories that is responsible for a great deal of the screwed up borders in the region. The assumption that arabs will welcome the meddling of Turkey is just that, an assumption. It wasn't that long ago that the Turks were slaughtering thousands upon thousands of arabs as they put down rebellions. Turkey may think that its oil pipelines from Russia give it clout, but the Russians aren't overly excited by the prospect of an additional hostile Islamic state on its border. Watch the Russian reaction as Mr. Putin will be running for office again and he needs to play to the Russian nationalist vote. It will be a field day in Russia as they get to beat up on their two favourite scapegoats, muslims and jews. And who will suffer at the end of this political brinksmanship? The Palestinians as usual. It sucks to be a reasonable arab in that region, squashed between a psychotic Islamic jihadist segment and the terrified paranoid Israelis.

[Jingthing]

When the threats are real, it is not paranoia.

[Steely Dan]

@Kid,

Agree with most of your post, except.

i) If the Israelis weren't 'paranoid' they would no longer exist.

ii) The Turkish atrocities when overlords of the Arab world cut little ice as long as it's Muslim killing Muslim.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Steely Dan

[up-country_sinclair]

It's a shame Israel didn't do the right thing and simply apologize for its unreasonable use of force against the humanitarian flotilla last year (Please don't bore me with absurd claim that the armed to the teeth Israeli commandos were the one's who were attacked. You can try selling that somewhere else). If the Israelis had only admitted the error, then perhaps this current situation never would have materialized. It's exactly this type of arrogance that repeatedly puts the Israeli govt. in these types of situations.

[Ulysses G.]

Anyone who has seen the videos of 40 armed Turkish mercenaries attacking Israeli soldiers for rnforcing a legal blockade will realize how absurd it would be to "apologize".

Edited September 13, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[geriatrickid]

It's a shame Israel didn't do the right thing and simply apologize for its unreasonable use of force against the humanitarian flotilla last year (Please don't bore me with absurd claim that the armed to the teeth Israeli commandos were the one's who were attacked. You can try selling that somewhere else). If the Israelis had only admitted the error, then perhaps this current situation never would have materialized. It's exactly this type of arrogance that repeatedly puts the Israeli govt. in these types of situations.

The Israelis expressed regret. However, the Israelis need not apologize as Turkey aided and abetted the flotilla. Turkey knew there was a likelihood of a confrontation and that there would be a loss of life. It is Turkey that should apologize for sending people to their certain death. Had Turkey been a real leader, it would have stopped the flotilla and said, here, we will help send aid, we will verify the cargo and we will send it via the Egyptian and the Israeli ports. BTW, Gaza doesn't really have port facilities to handle cargo ships. Why would anyone send cargo ships to an area not capable of handling the cargo?

[Zeid]

Nawak< these people do not represent Islam, alone, and if you want you can PM Me, what happened to the massacre that killed all those Muslims during the Islamic festival shall we refer to all those NOn Muslims the same way i do not think so, you have the right to make your opinion and judge after you understand something not just cast away words.

Radical or fanatic actions in any field or extremist is all wrong, what every happened to the Norwegian that killed all those innocent people, that is wrong as well and not accepted by any society, but this does not mean i will go ahead and start saying this is the Christian Agenda,

I am not familiar with the third jihad, but jihad can be achieved by seeking better education and life, if a person dies while he is seeking education he is considered as a mortar, and killing oneself or suicide is not allowed by islam, so those stupid suicide Bombers have just wasted their lives.

what is shira law? is it on limited to what has been mentioned, it brought equality, as well as economical values to a society, so sharia is a full set of laws, that can be beneficial to people, such as social welfare, sorry but there is also no place in shariaw law that supports spending on attacking western countries, same as any other empire the Muslim empire was expanding, same did the romans, the magols, and all, so this is just a bad interpretation of a shiria law.

Once again I am a Muslim, educated in the US, Lived in Germany, and traveled around, by no means will i consider myself even a moderate muslim, since i miss all prayers, i enjoy beacon in the morning and the company of women, but when ever i start hearing comments such the below about islamist agendas, as well as some remarks based on Total BS, my devotion increases,

i agree with Ulysses that many use this curtain of islam to do what ever sick ideology they have damaging or destroying the reputation of islam, and in our school we where tought the bible, Christianity, and the Tarawa and Jewish releigion, i suggest many of you who do comment based on no facts that you read and study.

finally i do not think any of you will accept a person to come in inside your home, take 2 out of the 3 bedrooms you owe, and then call you a thief.

[Jingthing]

The Israelis said they were sorry casualties occurred. If the Turks really wanted to avoid this diplomatic crisis they could have been open to working with the Israelis to massage the wording so that the Israelis would not have to apologize which they weren't going to ever do, but still could be sold as something between sorry that happened and we take all the blame. So it was a diplomatic failure, totally avoidable.

In other words, yes I blame Turkey for this. Israel most definitely did not want a break with Turkey, but Turkey was clearly OK with that. So its more about internal Turkey stuff and the fact they want to be a big leader in the Islamic world, so this incident conveniently helps them project that way.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Jingthing

[Scott]

Some very good points JT. Turkey has spent years being rebuffed by the EU, with constant postponements to membership. They have made legal changes to comply with the EU and still the goal post keeps moving.

The Arab world is now like a fatherless child and Turkey is a strong, reasonably stable country who can step into the parenting role. They do need an enemy, however, to solidify support. Israel is a convenient and reasonably easy target.

My fear has been that Iran is going to exercise power in the region. Both Turkey and Iran are ethnically different, so cementing an enduring bond may be difficult. It is up to other countries to make sure we don't drive them into the a strong adversarial situation.

[Steely Dan]

@Zeid, You call yourself moderate and your rejection of violence supports that. I'm curious whether you would support the existence of a Jewish state called Israel alongside a Muslim state called Palestine? If this was to happen how many Muslim Countries do you think would then recognize Israel through formal diplomatic relations?

Latest: Looks like Turkey have been told to wind their necks in.

http://www.debka.com/article/21297/

The Obama administration has turned down a Turkish request for drones or for the deployment of US Predators at Turkish bases until Ankara stops threatening Israel with armed attack, debkafile's military and Washington sources report.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Steely Dan

[Scott]

A number of excessively anti-Muslim posts and responses to them have been removed.