ANKARA - Deputy Chairman of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, Huseyin Celik, said Monday the treatment individuals from 33 different countries received from Israel (on early Monday morning) will be a black mark in history.
The treatment that individuals with peaceful intentions received from Israel was a crime and Israel was responsible for this crime in sea, Celik said.
"Only when the 'Mavi Marmara' ship arrives at the Ashdod Port, will we be able to find out who got killed and who got wounded in the Israeli attack. Aside from Turks, there were individuals from 32 other countries in this ship. Representatives of non-governmental organizations, children and deputies from several countries were attacked as they were carrying humanitarian assistance to Gaza," Celik said.
As the AK Party, we strongly condemn the Israeli attack on the peaceful activists who were carrying food to Gazan children and medication for the ill people, Celik said.
Touching on the terrorist attack on Turkish troops in southern town of Iskenderun on Sunday night, Celik said that they believed the simultaneous timing of the terrorist attack in Iskenderun and Israel's attack on the ships carrying aid materials was not a result of a coincidence.
Whenever Turkey's influence in the international community grows, certain circles try to hurt Turkey's domestic peace and tranquility. We do not think that the timing of the terrorist incident in Iskenderun, where six Turkish soldiers were killed, and Israel's attack on aid ships were a coincidence, Celik also said.