PM Erdogan: "Keeping silent about Israeli raid would pave the way for future attacks"

Speaking at the opening of a meeting on Millennium Development Goals for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) held by United Nations Development Program which started in Istanbul yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the international community about the potential harm of turning a blind eye to the illegality of last week's Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid convoy in the eastern Mediterranean that led to the deaths of nine Turkish peace activists, warning that doing so would promote the repetition of such tragedies. Calling the Israeli raid a grave violation of international law, Erdgoan called on the international community not to remain silent, saying that further such violations would damage humanity's sensitivity to justice and sow mistrust among international organizations. "If we're talking about global peace and if we're sincerely aware that we have to find solutions to global problems together, then we have to take a humanitarian stance against these kinds of unlawful incidents -- a just, determined and courageous stance," he said. "Those who remain silent, who remain indifferent and turn a deaf ear will not only be partner to these massacres, but will also legitimize new attacks in the future and will be lending support to such attacks." In related news, in a TV interview yesterday, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, "If Israel doesn't agree to the establishment of an international committee to look into its raid on the flotilla, there will be sanctions by Turkey to isolate Israel." He added, "We will isolate Israel at every platform." Stating that Turkey would keep working to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza, Davutoglu said they want a UN resolution on the issue and to raise it on other international platforms.