Government warns Israel to meet flotilla raid demands

Speaking during an annual fast-breaking dinner (iftar), organized by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) for the diplomatic community in Ankara on Thursday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said his government’s demands for an official apology and compensation for the families of those killed by the Israeli attack still stand. “Israel must admit its mistake, extend an apology and pay the compensation. We will be following up on these demands,” he emphasized.

In a sign of strained relations with Israel, the AK Party did not invite Israeli Ambassador to Turkey Gabby Levy to the dinner, unlike last year. The chief rabbi of Turkey, Ishak Haleva, and Turkish-Jewish community leader Sami Herman, however, attended the dinner.

Commenting on the decision not to invite Levy, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said respect for human rights and human lives was essential. “When this respect is not shown, some responsibilities emerge. We expect those responsibilities to be fulfilled,” he said at a joint press conference with Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa on Friday.

Speaking on Thursday, Ömer Çelik, AK Party deputy chairman responsible for external affairs, said the decision not to invite Levy was an act of protest against aggressive Israeli policies. “It was not against the Israeli ambassador or Israeli people but against the lack of response on the part of the Israeli government to the demands of the Turkish government,” he emphasized.

During a 20-minute speech after the dinner, Erdoğan dismissed charges of a change in direction in Turkish foreign policy and said full membership in the European Union was a strategic goal for Turkey. He blamed attitudes in the EU for the fall in Turkish public support for the membership process. “The EU should not erect artificial barriers to full membership,” Erdoğan said, noting that his government has embarked on major constitutional changes to bring the country in line with the EU acquis. “Our government has done more than any other government in recent history to achieve EU goals,” he added.

He reiterated that Turkey is interested in following developments in all parts of the world, saying the country is now a global player in the international arena. “Some wanted us to turn our back to the East while our face turned toward to Europe. Nobody has a right to demand such thing from us. Our government’s face is turned to all corners of the world,” he explained.

Erdoğan also said Turkey is working very closely with the Obama administration to expand on the model partnership between Washington and Ankara. He stressed that Turkey is closely following developments in Iraq and that any future government should be inclusive and representative of all factions and groups.

Erdoğan told the ambassadors and foreign diplomats that their countries should work actively with Turkey to stem the terror threat confronting it. “Terror is trying to sabotage the referendum process for constitutional changes in Turkey,” he said, adding that it is disheartening to see some countries still tolerating organizations linked with the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) despite all evidence and warnings. “It is about time to expect solidarity, sincerity and concrete steps from our friends against a terrorist organization that is obviously acting as a contractor,” Erdoğan emphasized.

Saudi Ambassador Mohammed Raja al-Hussaini, who is the acting dean of the diplomatic corps in Turkey, also addressed the audience. He praised the Erdoğan government for its “successful foreign policy,” adding: “I remember when your party came to power you said Turkey had problems with almost all of its neighbors and that the situation is at times threatening and you made it a goal of your party not to make enemies, but to make friends. And we can see now the Republic of Turkey enjoys the best relations with all its neighbors and that the relationship between Turkey and its neighbors has become that of cooperation and economic and commercial interaction.”