Turkey says Israel to release all Turks from aid ships, prepares big welcome for activists

Turkey: Israel to release all Turks from aid ships

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s parliament called on the government Wednesday to review all ties with Israel, as the country prepared a huge welcome home for hundreds of Turks detained after Israel’s bloody raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

In Israel, all of the nearly 700 activists from the aid ships will be deported by the end of the day, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein said Wednesday. He added that Israel has decided not to prosecute any of them, writing in an order that “keeping them here would do more damage to the country’s vital interests than good.”

Israel has come under harsh international condemnation after its commandos stormed an aid flotilla in international waters on Monday, setting off clashes that killed nine activists trying to break the Israeli and Egyptian naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Officials at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv say all of the foreign activists were at the airport waiting to be deported. Turkish and Greek protesters were to fly home on special planes sent by their respective governments, while others were to travel home on commercial flights.

In a statement approved by a show of hands after a heated debate, Turkish lawmakers said Israel must formally apologize for the raid, pay compensation to the victims and bring those responsible to justice.

“This attack was an open violation of United Nations rules and international law,” Deputy Parliament Speaker Guldal Mumcu said, reading out the declaration.

“Turkey should seek justice against Israel through national and international legal authorities,” the declaration said.

“The parliament expects the Turkish government to revise the political, military and economic relations with Israel, and to take effective measures.” the declaration said.