Turkey vows to protect Gaza aid convoys
Israel says declaration 'grave'
Turkish warships will escort the country's aid vessels bound for the Gaza Strip, protecting them from Israeli ships, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Thursday prompting a grave response from Israel.
"Turkish warships will be tasked with protecting the Turkish boats bringing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip," Erdogan told Al Jazeera television.
"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.
Israeli troops killed nine Turkish nationals on the ship Mavi Marmara in the ensuing confrontation, sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries that has strained relations to breaking point.
"Turkey will be firm on its right to control the territorial waters in the east of the Mediterranean," Erdogan added.
Israeli Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor yesterday described Erdogan's comment as "grave and serious" threat.
"These remarks are grave and serious, but we have no wish to add to the polemic," Meridor said on army radio.
"It is better to stay quiet and wait -- we have no interest in aggravating the situation by replying to such attacks," he said.
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