MOSCOW – Turkey has condemned the disproportionate use of force by Israelagainst the protesting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and expressedconcerns over casualties, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a Fridaystatement.
Earlier in the day, a mass protest, which is expected to last for over amonth, started along the Israeli border. During the event the protestershave already clashed with Israeli servicemen and reportedly 14 Palestinianswere killed in the clashes.
“We strongly condemn the disproportionate use of force by Israelagainst the Palestinians who participated in the peaceful protests in Gazatoday. We are deeply worried about the casualties and injuries resultingfrom the interventions of the Israeli security forces,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Turkey calls on Israel to stop the use of forceand urges the international community to take steps in order to “makeIsrael abandon its aggressive stand.”
The event dubbed “The Great Return March,” which started earlier in the dayis dedicated to the so-called Land Day that commemorates the day in 1976when Israeli troops killed six Arabs protesting against confiscationof land. On May 15, the Palestinians will commemorate Nakba (disasterin Arabic), when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displacedafter Israel announced its independence in 1948.