Turkey to impose more sanctions against Israel

BBC News
6 September 2011
Last updated at 06:20 ET

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country will implement further sanctions against Israel.

The threat follows the expulsion of Israel's ambassador over its refusal to apologise for the 2010 raid on a flotilla of activists heading for Gaza, in which nine Turks were killed.

A UN report has concluded that Israel used "excessive force" in its raid, but that the naval blockade was legal.

Turkey has vowed to take the case to the International Court of Justice.

Mr Erdogan said Turkey was "totally suspending" defence industry ties with Israel, after downgrading diplomatic relations with the country.

"Trade ties, military ties, regarding defence industry ties, we are completely suspending them," he told reporters in Ankara. "This process will be followed by different measures."

Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador on 2 September and also suspended military co-operation with Israel last week.

Israel has expressed regret for the loss of lives.

But Mr Erdogan described the raid as "savagery" and accused Israel of acting like "a spoiled boy" in the region.

Based in The Hague, the ICJ is a permanent UN court set up to rule on state-to-state disputes.