01/06/2010 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called the Israeli massacre committed against activists in the "Freedom Flotilla," which resulted in fatalities, a "bloody massacre," warning that "no one should test Turkey's patience."
 
Erdogan told lawmakers in the Turkish parliament that "this bloody massacre by Israel on ships that were taking humanitarian aid to Gaza deserves every kind of curse." He said the Israeli action was an attack on international law, the conscience of humanity and world peace.
 
Erdogan said the flotilla was legal, and the operation against it was a violation of the spirit of the United Nations. He emphasized that the unjustified attack against the flotilla was "a blow to world peace and against international law."
 
Erdogan, who was applauded throughout the speech, went over the steps taken by Turkey following the crime, including the recall of the Turkish ambassador in Tel Aviv, the cancellation of three military exercises that Turkey and the Zionist entity were supposed to carry out, and the return of a young Turkish basketball player from the occupied territories.
 
"Now Israel has shown to all the world how well it knows how to kill," he said. "People were killed and badly wounded, some from shots, even when bound. How human is this? There is no other way of explaining this to the world. All states condemn it, but this is not enough, we need results. People around the world need to know that one day justice will be revealed. If Israel does not immediately free all the detainees and wounded, the rift in relations with it will widen."
 
While saying the operation was an act of piracy, the Turkish Prime Minister stressed the Zionist entity must stop using the excuse of self-defense to justify its behavior. He emphasized that his country has never been anti-Semitic. He thanked the Jewish community in Turkey for its support for Turkey's position.
 
"Turkey's friendship is as strong as its animosity," he said. "The Israeli nation must pressure its government to cease such acts. All detainees must be released, including parliament members and the 60 Turkish journalists. Israel will not be able to show itself in the world until it apologizes for what happened and undergoes self-criticism. It is destroying its alliances one after the other."
 
Due to the Israeli massacre, Erdogan cut short his visit to South America and returned to Ankara. During talks with Chilean reporters before his return, he said the crime was "state terror" and called for an emergency NATO meeting to discuss the escalation.
 
"This operation, which is completely against international law, is an act of inhuman state terror," he said. "Don't think that we'll sit by in silence after such events."