Thaindian News

ANKARA, TURKEY (BNO NEWS) — Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced on Friday that Israel’s ambassador and senior diplomats have been expelled from the country after Israel refused to apologize regarding the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid.

“Turkey-Israel diplomatic relations have been reduced to a second secretary level,” Davutoğlu told the Hurriyet Daily news. “All personnel above the second secretary level will be sent home by Wednesday at the latest.”

The announcement was made as Israel has refused to apologize and issue compensations for the families of those killed during the Gaza flotilla raid, as well as end its blockade of Palestinians residing in Gaza.

In addition to downgrading the diplomatic ties between Turkey and Israel to second secretary, Davutoğlu said that all military ties with Israel will be suspended. Turkey also said it will take measures for freedom of maritime movement in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Furthermore, Davutoğlu said the Gaza blockade will no longer be recognized by Turkey and the country will take the situation to the International Court of Justice. He said Turkey will support all flotilla victims.

On Thursday, Turkey warned Israel that if it did not issue a formal apology for the incident before the United Nations (UN) Palmer Report on the raid was released, it would put ‘Plan B’ into play and ‘impose sanctions.’ It gave no other details at the time.

A leaked version of the UN report was published by the New York Times on late Thursday and stated that the naval blockade was “imposed as a legitimate security measure in order to prevent weapons from entering Gaza by sea and its implementation complied with the requirements of international law.”

However, it also stated that Israel’s decision to board the vessels with “such substantial force at a great distance from the blockade zone and with no final warning immediately prior to the boarding was excessive and unreasonable.”

In May 2010, nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed and dozens more were injured when Israeli commandos boarded a ship participating in the ‘Freedom Flotilla I’, which was heading to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid on board. The incident caused global outrage over alleged excessive force, but Israel has denied that and said its commandos were being attacked.

Following the incident, Turkey withdrew its Ambassador to Israel and suspended joint military exercises, as well as banning any Israeli military aircraft from entering its national airspace.