Turkish premier Sunday has reiterated his passionate criticism of Israel following its armed assault on a Gaza aid convoy that killed nine Turks, Press TV reported.
"We will stand firm until the blockade on Gaza is lifted, the massacres cease and the state terror in the Middle East is accounted for," said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, AFP reported.
Gaza "is a historical cause for us," he emphasized as the siege approaches its third anniversary. "We object to those who force the people of Gaza to live in an open-air prison."
The Turkish premier said he had discussed potential formation of a commission on the matter with the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "The work that this commission will do is very very important for us. I hope we will get a result from it."
The Israeli military attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea early on May 31, killing nine Turkish citizens on board the six ships and injuring about 50 other people.
The Turkish Prosecutor's Office in Bakirkoy, Istanbul has already initiated an investigation in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considered the main suspect behind the assault. Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi are also regarded as potential perpetrators.