Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Monday for international sanctions on Israel over its attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla humanitarian aid ships.
Israeli commandos stormed on May 31 the six-ship fleet in international waters off the coast of Gaza as it carried some 10,000 tons of aid and up to 700 human rights activists to the Palestinian enclave.
Eight of the nine activists confirmed dead in the attack were Turkish citizens. Mass anti-Israeli protests took place in Istanbul and Ankara last week as the country paid its last respects to the victims.
"The international community should impose sanctions on Israel over its illegal actions," Erdogan said, adding that the attack was unacceptable as it flagrantly violates international law.
"Terrorism in the Mediterranean Sea should also include the state terrorism committed by Israel," he continued. "The acts committed by Israel, even in a war time, could be considered a crime."
Turkey has condemned the act of aggression and recalled its ambassador from Israel. Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Thursday that Turkey would never forgive Israel for the killing of Turkish citizens.
On Wednesday, the Turkish parliament unanimously adopted a declaration urging the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel over the attack, which it called a "blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law."
The Freedom Flotilla was trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip even though Israel had warned that it would not allow foreign ships to approach the coast.
Israel said the ships could have been carrying arms for militants in the Palestinian enclave and offered instead to receive the ships at its port of Ashdod, inspect the cargo and then transport it overland to Gaza.
Erdogan also called for an immediate lifting of the Gaza blockade, calling the Palestinian enclave an "open prison."
"We will not stay silent while blood and tears flow in Gaza," he said.
Many of the 1.5 million people living in Gaza lack sufficient supplies of clean water and other vital items.
The Hamas Islamist movement, which has controlled Gaza since summer 2007, has refused to allow the seized Freedom Flotilla cargo into the enclave until Turkey gives the go-ahead.
ISTANBUL, June 7 (RIA Novosti)
