US response to Israel’s flotilla raid will shape the Middle East

Turkey's Suat Kiniklioglu says this Israeli government has gone too far.

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The US also has a moral responsibility to condemn Israel’s violence for what it is. Turkey is closely monitoring the US response. As Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu eloquently noted, this is not a choice between Turkey and Israel. It is a choice between right and wrong, between legal and illegal.

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In many respects, the Middle East is approaching an important crossroad.

The United States will itself determine what sort of Middle East it will be dealing with in the future by its response to Israel’s actions. This could not be more urgent given the tension surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, the precarious situation in Iraq, and the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, the flotilla raid has once again highlighted that the blockade on Gaza is not sustainable. Israel can no longer justify its inhumane blockade against Gaza Palestinians.

Gaza constitutes an open-air prison. According to Amnesty International, 1.4 million Palestinians are subject to collective punishment that aims to suffocate the Gaza Strip.

Mass unemployment, extreme poverty, and food price increases caused by shortages have left 4 in 5 Gazans dependent on humanitarian aid. That is why the freedom flotilla wanted to deliver the aid it was carrying. It also wanted to make a point of the need to allow Gazans to trade and interact with the rest of the world.

We Turks welcomed the Jews escaping from the Inquisition in Spain in 1492. Our diplomats risked their lives to save European Jews from the Nazis. The Ottoman Empire and Turkey have traditionally been hospitable to Jews for centuries. That said, we can no longer tolerate the brutal policies of the current Israeli government, especially if they cost the lives of our citizens. Neither Turks’ nor the international community’s consciences can continue to carry the burden of the Netanyahu government’s irresponsible policies.

As a Washington Post editorial concluded, "Benjamin Netanyahu also needs to broaden his government to include pro-peace parties; one of his main problems is cabinet hawks who have made Israeli diplomacy an oxymoron."

Both Israel and Turkey deserve better.

Suat Kiniklioglu is the ruling AK (Justice and Development) Party’s deputy chairman of external affairs and a member of the AK Party’s Central Executive Board.