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Israel wants Turkish PM out of office

20 June 2010 03:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. An Israeli minister has called for the removal of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has condemned the deadly Israeli attack on an aid flotilla, from office, APA reports quoting official website of Press TV.

"The Turkish people aren’t the enemy, but Erdogan is Israel’s enemy," Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov was quoted by the Israeli daily, Ha’aretz as saying on Saturday.

"This isn’t a healthy situation, and unless he leaves office there is no room for optimism," he added.

The remarks come as relations between Israel and Turkey hit a new low following Tel Aviv’s military attack on the Turkish-backed Freedom Flotilla aid convoy in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, killing at least 20 human rights activists.

The relief mission had set sail to break Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip.

The Turkish Prosecutor’s office in Istanbul has started an investigation in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considered the main suspect behind the assault.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff of the Israeli military Gabi Ashkenazi are also reported to be investigated.

Erdogan recently repeated his condemnation of the aggression. "We have not remained silent against this piracy and injustice, and we will not do so, and we will seek solutions within the framework of international law," he said.

Erdogan added that the Israeli "government" was Turkey’s "problem."

Tel Aviv has so far refused to offer either apology or compensation for the deadly attack or its actions in its aftermath.

It has also defied a demand by the United Nations for an international probe, insisting it would run its own inquiry into the attack.

Ankara has, meanwhile, introduced a roadmap to "completely" cut all bilateral ties -- worth billions of dollars, Turkish paper Today’s Zaman reported.