United Nations: Turkey's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) said on Monday that Israel should halt its settlement activities including those in East Jerusalem as a prior move to go on with direct Israeli-Palestinian talks.
Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan said direct talks between Israel and Palestine were hampered after moratorium regarding Jewish settlements ended, and Turkey still believed direct talks could be rescued.
"In this context, Turkey welcomes Palestine's decision not to totally withdraw from the process," Apakan said during a meeting on Middle East at the UN Security Council in New York.
Apakan said the living conditions of Palestinians under occupation should be improved in order to achieve a two-state solution, and they should be provided with more convenient conditions in order to ensure the Palestinian [National] Authority to go on its efforts to establish a state.
Ambassador Apakan said Israel was directly responsible for the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.
Also commenting on the May 31st Israeli attack on Gaza-bound aid flotilla that killed nine Turks, Apakan said the UN inquiry commission was working on the issue, and it was expecting a report from Israel.
Apakan also said Turkey was supporting efforts of the UN Inquiry Commission, and expecting the commission to reveal the facts as soon as possible.
The UN Human Rights Council set up the international fact-finding mission on June 2 to investigate violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, resulting from the Israeli attacks on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian assistance.