CAIRO: Israel on Friday condemned a Turkish government's decisions to escort aid vessels attempting to break the economic blockade on Gaza. Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor said the move was “grave and serious.” He added to Army radio that “these remarks are grave and serious, but we have no wish to add to the polemic.” His statements came after Ankara announced it would be sending its ships to escort any aid vessels attempting to break the siege on the struggling Palestinian territory in the face of an Israeli blockade. “It is better to stay quiet and wait — we have no interest in aggravating the situation by replying to such attacks,” he said. On Thursday evening, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his government would assist any aid ships to Gaza, in public defiance of the Israeli naval blockade. “Turkish warships will be tasked with protecting the Turkish boats bringing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip,” Erdogan told Al Jazeera. “From now on, we will no longer allow these boats to be the targets of attacks by Israel, like the one on the Freedom Flotilla, because then Israel will have to deal with an appropriate response,” he warned. In May of last year, Israel stormed a freedom flotilla aid mission to Gaza, killing 9 activists on board. The violence sparked international anger and has resulted in Turkey cutting diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. The attack occurred in international waters. “Turkey will be firm on its right to control the territorial waters in the east of the Mediterranean,” Erdogan added. Ankara had also “undertaken measures to prevent Israel unilaterally exploiting” the region's natural resources, he warned, referring to offshore gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean. BM
