On Thursday, October 2nd, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused Israel of “brutality” in boarding an aid flotilla which was reportedly sailing to help Palestinians in Gaza.
The president said in a speech to his AKP party:
This attack by the Israeli government against civilians sailing in international waters has once again shown the madness of its genocidal leaders trying to hide their crimes against humanity in Gaza and reveals once again Israel’s brutality.
Erdoğan’s criticism came after the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had opened an investigation into the arrest of Turkish citizens travelling with the flotilla. According to the statement, the probe concerns 24 Turkish citizens arrested following the attack carried out by elements of the Israeli navy in international waters against the Global Sumud flotilla.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday night denounced what it said was “an act of terrorism” by Israel, and “hoped that this attack will not compromise efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Friday
Procedures are under way to wrap up the Hamas-Sumud provocation and to finalize the deportation of the participants in this sham.ű
The ministry added all the activisits are “safe and in good health,” reiterating that the whole ‘aid flotilla’ stunt was “nothing but a provocation.”
