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Turkish PM Tells Israel "Thou Shalt Not Kill"
Published: June 4, 2010
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey accused Israel Friday of breaking biblical commandments against killing and said it could cut ties with its one-time ally to a minimum after nine Turkish activists died in a raid on a ship bound for Gaza.
"I am speaking to them in their own language. The sixth commandment says 'thou shalt not kill'. Did you not understand?" Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said in his harshest words yet since Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara Monday.
"I'll say again. I say in English 'you shall not kill'. Did you still not understand?. So I'll say to you in your own language. I say in Hebrew 'Lo Tirtzakh'," he said in a televised speech to supporters of his Islamist-leaning AK Party.
As relations plunged to their worst since the two countries forged a strategic relationship in the 1990s, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc also said military and economic agreements with Israel were now on the table for discussion.
"We are serious about this subject," Arinc told the Turkish NTV news channel in an interview.
"We may plan to reduce our relations with Israel to a minimum, but to assume everything involving another country is stopped in an instant, to say we have crossed you out of our address book, is not the custom of our state," he said.
Turkey, Israel's only Muslim ally, had already recalled its ambassador and cancelled joint military exercises after the nine activists were killed while trying to break a blockade on Gaza.
A spokeswoman for activists aboard another boat trying to run the blockade said they would continue their voyage.
Israel, facing an international outcry over its naval operation Monday, has vowed to stop the Rachel Corrie, named after an activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israeli forces to exercise "caution and politeness" in handling the ship, expected near the waters off Gaza by Saturday.
Together with Egypt, Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza after Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007.
Israel has defended the embargo, saying it stops Hamas from bringing in weapons to fight Israel. But officials said on Thursday Netanyahu was considering modifying the blockade, which would introduce some form of international role in enforcing an arms embargo, while letting in civilian goods.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/06/04/world/international-uk-israel-flotilla.html
Published: June 4, 2010
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey accused Israel Friday of breaking biblical commandments against killing and said it could cut ties with its one-time ally to a minimum after nine Turkish activists died in a raid on a ship bound for Gaza.
"I am speaking to them in their own language. The sixth commandment says 'thou shalt not kill'. Did you not understand?" Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said in his harshest words yet since Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara Monday.
"I'll say again. I say in English 'you shall not kill'. Did you still not understand?. So I'll say to you in your own language. I say in Hebrew 'Lo Tirtzakh'," he said in a televised speech to supporters of his Islamist-leaning AK Party.
As relations plunged to their worst since the two countries forged a strategic relationship in the 1990s, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc also said military and economic agreements with Israel were now on the table for discussion.
"We are serious about this subject," Arinc told the Turkish NTV news channel in an interview.
"We may plan to reduce our relations with Israel to a minimum, but to assume everything involving another country is stopped in an instant, to say we have crossed you out of our address book, is not the custom of our state," he said.
Turkey, Israel's only Muslim ally, had already recalled its ambassador and cancelled joint military exercises after the nine activists were killed while trying to break a blockade on Gaza.
A spokeswoman for activists aboard another boat trying to run the blockade said they would continue their voyage.
Israel, facing an international outcry over its naval operation Monday, has vowed to stop the Rachel Corrie, named after an activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israeli forces to exercise "caution and politeness" in handling the ship, expected near the waters off Gaza by Saturday.
Together with Egypt, Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza after Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007.
Israel has defended the embargo, saying it stops Hamas from bringing in weapons to fight Israel. But officials said on Thursday Netanyahu was considering modifying the blockade, which would introduce some form of international role in enforcing an arms embargo, while letting in civilian goods.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/06/04/world/international-uk-israel-flotilla.html
