As peace activists and human rights groups prepare for sailing to Gaza next month, Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, warned Israel against a new attack against the flotilla, similar to its attack against the Freedom Flotilla in International Waters killing nine Turkish activist and wounding dozens before towing the ship to Ashdod Port.Israeli Yedioth Aharonoth reported that Davutoglu said during an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald that Israel has the moral and international responsibility to lift the siege on Gaza, adding that the UN-fact finding commission has deemed the siege as illegal.
“Last year, Israel attacked the flotilla while it was 72 miles away from the coast, killed and wounded dozens of activists”, Davutoglu said, “The attack was in International water, the Mediterranean is not the property of any country.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Turkish Humanitarian Relief (IHH), stated that the Turkish ship (Mavi Marmara), which was attacked last year and the army violently intercepted the Freedom Flotilla, will be heading back to Gaza, and that the ship will carry the same name and is set to sail later in this coming May.
Israel has been contacting several European Countries and the United States in an attempt to convince them to discourage their citizens from participating in the flotilla, and to try to prevent the sail.
Davutoglu told the Sydney Morning Herald that his country will not attempt to stop the ships from sailing from its ports, but will advise the passenger on anticipated dangers.
Preparations for the new Flotilla are ongoing in North American, Europe, Asia, South American, Australia and Africa.
Approximately 15 ships, carrying more than a thousand persons, including reporters, human rights workers, technicians and activists, will be sailing simultaneously by the end of this coming May.
In light of the new announcement, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called for a meeting of his Cabinet Wednesday morning to prepare a response.
Netanyahu had previously appealed to the United Nations to prevent the flotilla from trying to enter Gaza, but the UN did not respond.
