![[Valid Atom 1.0]](valid-atom.png "Validate my Atom 1.0 feed")
BBC MUNDO RADIO
|
|
Turkish leaders and citizens alike reacted strongly to Israel's violentl interception of the Turkish-led aid flotilla, during which four Turkish citizens were killed.
Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel after the attack and also announced the cancellation of three upcoming joint military exercises with Israel.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was abroad at the time of the incident and immediately made his way home. He stressed that Israel's behavior should definitely be punished.
Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned Israel in a statement, saying "this serious infringement on international law may seriously damage bilateral relations."
Turkey, the first Islamic country to recognize Israel in 1948, has long been one of Israel's close allies.
However, relations between the two have become tense since late 2008, when Israel launched the massive "Cast Lead" offensive at Gaza, and the Gaza flotilla incident has sent bilateral ties to a new low.
As the United States is Israel's closest ally, the U.S. attitude toward the flotilla incident attracted much world attention.
The country did not specifically condemn Israel for its deadly raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, only calling for "careful, thoughtful" responses.
However, the incident did create some headaches for the Obama administration, as Turkey is also seen as an important U.S. ally in the region, especially on the issue of Iran.
That is why President Barack Obama spoke to Erdogan on the phone regarding the raid in a bid to comfort the furious regional power.
The Obama White House has called the Israeli-Palestinian peace process one of its top priorities, yet little tangible progress has been made.
Analysts fear that the U.S.-mediated indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians may be aborted again due to the raid.
Contrasting sharply with the United States, the European Union vehemently lashed out at Israel over the deadly episode.
Jerzy Buzek, the European Parliament president, condemned the Israeli action as "unjustified" and "a clear and unacceptable breach of international law."
Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, said the EU "strongly condemns any acts of violence and deplores any excessive use of force."
However, the EU so far has not translated any of its condemnations into tangible moves.
The UN Security Council on Monday convened an emergency meeting over the Israeli interception.
After marathon negotiations, the Security Council produced a presidential statement weaker than was demanded by the Palestinians, Arabs and Turkey because of objections by the United States.
The Islamic nations had called for condemnation of Monday's attack by Israeli forces on the flotilla "in the strongest terms" and "an independent international investigation."
After 13 hours of talks, however, the presidential statement that was finally agreed to and read at a formal council meeting instead called for "a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards."
And it only condemned "those acts" that resulted in deaths, without naming Israel.
Mexico's UN Ambassador Claude Heller, who holds the rotating Council presidency for June, said "impartial" meant "independent" and that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has the responsibility to organize the investigation.
Alejandro Wolff, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the UN, said Heller's interpretation is "not our understanding" of the wording regarding an investigation.
"We are convinced and support an Israeli investigation as I called for in my statement earlier and have every confidence that Israel can conduct a credible and impartial, transparent, prompt investigation internally," Wolff said.
