Palestinian official expects Erdogan to visit Gaza

Ahmed Yousef, the foreign undersecretary in the Gaza Strip, has said that Turkish premier Recep Erdogan might visit Gaza soon on board the Freedom Flotilla-2.

Yousef told reporters on Saturday at Gaza port that Erdogan’s visit to the Strip was not far-fetched, expecting the visit to take place very soon.

The European campaign to end the siege on Gaza along with European and Turkish relief organizations had announced intention to organize a new aid flotilla within the few coming weeks to break the siege on Gaza under the name of Freedom Flotilla-2.

A Lebanese newspaper published on Saturday said that Erdogan was seriously pondering visiting Gaza to break the Israeli siege imposed on it for the fourth consecutive year.

Al-Mustakbal quoted well informed Turkish sources as saying that Erdogan told the American administration that he was planning to ask the Turkish navy to escort a new relief convoy to Gaza but the American officials asked him to give the idea a further study.

The Israeli bloody attack on the Freedom Flotilla in international waters raised the ire of Turkey, which asked the world community to condemn Israel and put on trial all those responsible as war criminals for the attack that left dozens of Turkish and other foreign activists either killed or injured.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Turkish citizens took to the streets of Istanbul on Saturday to protest the Israeli attack that killed nine Turkish civilians.

Turkish rallies have been organized on daily basis since last Monday when the attack occurred and all demanded punishing Israel.