Israel owns the blame for its raid, not Turkey, says Davutoğlu

Netanyahu was the first witness to testify in a state-appointed inquiry into the lethal raid at sea on May 31. During the raid Israeli commandos killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American, all pro-Palestinian activists, after boarding their vessel from a helicopter. Netanyahu told the inquiry on Monday that Turkey had ignored warnings and appeals “at the highest level" many days before the fatal clash.

“Nobody can put the blame on another party concerning the responsibility for the killing of civilians in international waters. This situation is extremely clear; Israel killed civilians in international waters. Before everything else, they should first take responsibility for this [action],” Davutoğlu told reporters when reminded of Netanyahu's accusatory remarks at a joint press conference following talks with visiting Belgian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Steven Vanackere.

Netanyahu said: “Beginning on May 14, my office held contacts with the highest levels of the Turkish government. These contacts, and later on contacts between [the Israeli] defense minister and [the] Turkish foreign minister as well ... were intended to prevent a confrontation with the Marmara flotilla, and they continued until the eve of the flotilla’s arrival on Gaza’s shores. I similarly appealed to a senior figure in Egypt’s government on May 27 so it would intercede with the Turkish government.

“But as the flotilla’s arrival neared, it became clear that the diplomatic efforts would not stop it. Despite our continuous diplomatic efforts, ultimately the Turkish government did not prevent the attempt by the Marmara to break the naval blockade. All our proposals to route the ships’ cargo for a security vetting in Ashdod, and later for transfer through the land crossings to Gaza, were to no avail. Nor did we hear any public message from the Turkish government aimed at calming the excitability of the activists aboard the ship.”

Davutoğlu referred to a panel formed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer and which met for the first time yesterday. It includes one Israeli and one Turkish member.

“However, we trust the investigation which will be carried out on this issue by the international commission and we also believe that those responsible will be determined by the end of this investigation in conformity with the law. On this issue, Turkey’s responsibility is out of question and Turkey is determined to protect the rights of its citizens,” the minister said.

Turkish diplomatic sources, speaking with Today’s Zaman on Tuesday, reiterated “clear facts” regarding the raid in response to Netanyahu’s accusation.

“First, the Turkish government didn’t send these ships thus preventing those ships from sailing towards Gaza was not within the authority of Turkey. The civilians on board the ships were from many countries, not only from Turkey. Still, we had warned those activists at the time, and we had already stated that we had warned them,” the same diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Today’s Zaman.

Contradiction, confirmation

In Jerusalem, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak also testified at the government-appointed inquiry on Tuesday, and he said Israel had exhausted all other options before carrying out its raid and that the government’s decision to send troops to stop the Turkish aid was correct despite the ensuing bloodshed on board.

The pro-Palestinian flotilla bound for Hamas-ruled Gaza was a “planned provocation,” Barak said. He also stated that he was told by Israel’s military chief that the operation “won’t be simple, but we can get it done.”

Leading Israeli daily Haaretz commented on Tuesday that “Barak’s testimony apparently contradicted Monday’s testimony before the committee by Netanyahu, who said that discussions before the raid focused largely on the likely impact on public relations, while the chance of violent confrontation was mentioned only in passing.”

During the discussions, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi had expressed fear over the public reaction to the raid, Barak said, according to the report by English-language daily Haaretz. “In debates by the Seven, Ashkenazi stressed that it would not be simple but that we would do it. The politicians determined the ‘what’ and the IDF worked out the ‘how’ -- and the IDF carried out the operation,” Barak was quoted as saying by Haaretz.

Barak commented that the decision to stop the six-ship convoy came after “diplomatic efforts didn’t bear fruit,” and after “weighing all the possibilities and taking into account the different risks.”

Barak, himself a former commando and top general, said the military’s intelligence had warned of potential “collision and friction” during the raid, but not at the level encountered. “There is never perfect intelligence before a mission,” he added. Lieutenant-General Ashkenazi will give his testimony today.