SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Turkey expels Israeli envoy over Gaza flotilla

Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador to Ankara and suspended all military ties with its one-time ally after a UN report condemned excessive force used by Israel on a Gaza aid flotilla.

flotilla_israel_110528_AP_b_IDF_739520264

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP


Skip to article content

Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador to Ankara and suspended all military ties with its one-time ally after a UN report condemned excessive force used by Israel on a Gaza aid flotilla.

"At this point the measures we are taking are: The relations between Turkey and Isreal will be downgraded to second secretary level.

All officials over the level of second secretary, primarily the ambassador, will turn back to their country at the latest on Wednesday," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said at a press conference.

Davutoglu counted five measures against Isreal as a protest for its failure to fulfill Turkey's demands to overcome the crisis erupted after Israeli commandor stormed the flagship of the aid flotilla and killed nine Turks.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"Second, all the military agreements between Israel and Turkey are suspended," he said.

"Third, as the country with the longest coastline on the Mediterrenean, Turkey will take every precaution it considers necessary for the safety of maritime navigation to East Mediterrenean," he said.

Davutoglu said Turkey did not recognise Israel's right to blockade Gaza and intended to take its protest to The International Court of Justice in The Hague.

"For this aim, we are starting initiatives at UN Security Council," he added.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world