TURKEY INSISTS ON LIFTING GAZA BLOCKADE: HAMAD
Gaza City, 14 Rabi’ul Akhir 1435/14 February 2014 (MINA) – Deputy Foreign Minister Ghazi Hamad confirmed that Turkey insists on the necessity of lifting the siege on Gaza despite intransigence from Israeli occupation.
He expected Turkey to take practical steps towards that, adding, “Turkish poeple supported strongly Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision; this is proved on the ground during the last few years.”
“ The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza exerted great efforts and contacted several countries concerned with the Palestinian people to press on Israel, demanding lifting the blockade,” he pointed out, AL-RAY, Palestinian Media Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
Turkish PM said on Wednesday that he demanded a “written protocol” from Israel pledging it will lift the siege on the Gaza Strip as a condition for signing a reconciliation agreement and normalizing relations with Israel.
Israel: Breaking Gaza siege “out of question”
Senior Israeli official said Wednesday,” lifting Gaza blockade out of question.”
Officials in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office rejected on Thursday Turkey’s condition about lifting the siege imposed on Gaza to restore the regular diplomatic ties .
Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” quoted Israeli officials as saying that, lifting the siege and issuing a written protocol about the matter were “out of question.”
On Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Rajab Tayyib Erdogan stated that he demanded a formal document to break the siege on Gaza as a pre-condition to sign a reconciliation agreement with Israel.
According to Erdogan, there is a progress in the negotiations between the Israeli occupation and Turkey.
He pointed that the occupation apologized in front of Turkey for killing nine Turks when Israeli commandos raided a Turkish-led flotilla bound for Gaza in May 2010. He noted that the two sides talked about the payments Israel has to pay to the families of the victim compensation.
But Turkey’s request to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip has not been implemented yet, and there will not be reconciliation without it , Erdogan added.
Haaretz newspaper reported last week that the Israeli government had shown flexibility in their positions on the compensation for the Turkish families and proposed to pay $ 20 million .
Netanyahu had authorized the negotiators to up the amount to 23 million dollars if the need arises. Israeli officials said that the signing of a reconciliation agreement between the two countries is only ” a matter of days.”(T/P02/E01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
