Southeast European nations demand impartial intl probe of Israeli ship raid

Turkey and 11 other Southeastern European nations denounced Israel yesterday for its deadly raid last month of a Gaza-bound aid convoy and demanded an international investigation into the attack, which killed nine Turks. "We emphasize our interest in an impartial, independent and internationally credible investigation into this matter," said the Istanbul Declaration, released at the end of the three-day summit of the South-Eastern European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Istanbul. Israel has dismissed calls for an international probe and initiated an internal probe instead. "Reaffirming our commitment to international law, we stress the urgent need for alleviation of the humanitarian situation in Gaza," said the declaration. "In this context, we expect that announcements by the government of Israel will be quickly followed by concrete measures with an immediate positive impact on the lives of the people of Gaza. We deplore the loss of life and injuries during the incident in the international waters of the Eastern Mediterranean."