Turkey Expels Israel Ambassador Over UN Report on Gaza Flotilla Killings

Turkey said it will deport the Israeli ambassador following the release of a United Nations report that examined the deadly raid on a Turkish flotilla bound for Gaza by Israeli commandoes.

The report (which were leaked to the New York Times newspaper) stated that Israeli military officers used excessive force.

Nine Turkish activists, who were seeking to break the Israeli-imposed blockade around Gaza, were killed in the raid.
The UN report stated: 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.

Government officials in Ankara also declared they will suspend all outstanding military agreements with the Jewish state.
Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, lamented that some of the reports revelations were troubling and unacceptable.

Turkey-Israel diplomatic relations have been reduced to a second secretary level, Davutoglu said at a news conference on Friday.

All personnel above the second secretary level will return to their countries by Wednesday at the latest.

Israel has rejected calls by Turkey for apologize for the raid; although Israel may consider providing compensation for the families of the victims.

However, the UN report also ruled that Israel‘s naval blockade of Gaza is legal and a “legitimate security measure to prevent the flow of weapons reaching Palestinians militants by sea.

Relations between Israel and Turkey darkened after the raid in May 2010, but now they are on a downward spiral. Turkey is one of the few countries in the Muslim world that has recognized Israel and has generally had good relations with.

According to the New York Times, the UN report said: Turkey and Israel should resume full diplomatic relations, repairing their relationship in the interests of stability in the Middle East and international peace and security.