Israel, Egypt not allowing Turkish planes for Gaza

By Murat Demirci

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Israel and Egypt are not allowing Turkish aircrafts to use their airports for transporting wounded Palestinians, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdag said Wednesday.

Akdag made the remarks in Lefkosa during his discussion on the massacre of Palestinians by Israeli forces along the Gaza-Israel fence with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Tufan Erhurman's office.

He said Turkey had strongly condemned the massacre and lamented the fact that efforts to bring wounded Palestinians to Turkey were being thwarted by Israel and Egypt.

“Standing beside our oppressed brothers is a humane duty for us,” he added as he denounced the oppression by the U.S. and Israel in Gaza.

On Monday, at least 62 Palestinian demonstrators were martyred -- and hundreds more injured -- by Israeli troops deployed along their side of the Gaza-Israel fence.

Monday’s demonstration had coincided with Israel’s 70th anniversary -- an event Palestinians refer to as “The Catastrophe” -- and the relocation of Washington’s Israel embassy to Jerusalem, which also took place Monday.

Since the Gaza rallies began on March 30, more than 100 Palestinian demonstrators have been martyred by Israeli army gunfire.

Last week, the Israeli government said the ongoing protests along the Gaza-Israel fence constituted a “state of war” in which international humanitarian law did not apply.