ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday he wascancelling plans to visit Israel because of its “inhumane” war againstHamas militants in Gaza.
“We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go,”Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament, adding that he viewedHamas as “liberators” fighting for their own land.
Ankara’s relations with Israel froze over an Israeli raid on a Turkish shipcarrying aid into Gaza killed 10 civilians in 2010.
Erdogan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a UnitedNations summit in New York last month, marking a improvement in relationsthat began with a decision last year to reappoint ambassadors.
The Turkish leader did not say when he had intended to visit Israel, whereAnkara had been eyeing joining a natural gas pipeline project promoted bythe United States.
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“Of course, we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them,” Erdogansaid.
“If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have beendifferent, but now, unfortunately, this will not happen either.” -APP/AFP