Ubbowed by Israeli raid, Erdogan pledges continued push for mideast peace

Speaking in the northwestern province of Bursa yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued his criticism of Israel's deadly raid last week on a Gaza aid flotilla which left nine Turks dead, but also vowed that Turkey's push for Mideast peace will remain strong. "The Middle East should enjoy peace and stability. We will continue our struggle until peace prevails in the Middle East," Erdogan said. "We will not give up our demand for a more peaceful Middle East. No one should doubt this." Last Monday Israeli commandos raided the flotilla in a pre-dawn operation and shot at defenseless peace activists who were attempting to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza in six boats.