Turkey recalls envoys from Israel, U.S. over Gaza deaths, embassy move
Turkey had promised back in December to recall its ambassador to the US should it move its embassy to Jerusalem.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFUpdated: MAY 15, 2018 11:30Turkey's Erdogan equates deadly Gaza violence to 'genocide,' May 14, 2018 (Reuters)
Turkey on Monday recalled its ambassadors from Israel and the United States to demonstrate its anger over the mounting Gaza death toll and the relocation of the American Embassy to Jerusalem, according to the Turkish newspaper the Daily Sabah.Already in December Turkey had warned that it would recall its ambassador should the US make good on its pledge to open relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the removal of the envoys at a speech he delivered in London. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has yet to confirm the report.Turkish-Israeli ties have been fragile since the IDF killed nine Turkish activists in 2010 when it raided a Turkish ship, called the Mavi Marmara.The boat was part of a Gaza bound flotilla that hoped to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Strip.The two countries broke off diplomatic ties in 2011 and they only fully re-established formal diplomatic ties toward the end of 2016.