By Youssef Sourgo
Morocco World News
Casablanca, April 15, 2013
Recep Erdogan, head of the Turkish government, announced recently his plan to visit Gaza by the end of May to help lift the Israeli blockade, according to AFP.
“We will visit Gaza by the end of May, God willing,” stated Erdogan during a private conference call with the Turkish aid center based in Gaza,
Erdogan is scheduled to first visit the United States to meet U.S. president Barak Obama on May 16, which would be prior to his visit to Gaza.
Erdogan had previously stated that he would visit the Gaza strip in April for the same purpose. However, according to Turkish press, the Turkish head of state decided to postpone his visit until next May upon the request of the U.S. government.
According to several press reports, the U.S. decided to postpone Erdogan’s visit for the sake of circumventing any tensions between Turkey and Israel, especially following the latter’s apology last March for the attack on the “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” ships in 2010.
The flotilla, which was organized in collaboration between the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief and the Free Gaza Movement, was carrying humanitarian aid and construction material to the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces blocked the operation, boarding the ships and killing nine activists in the process. Eight of the killed activists were Turkish nationals whereas the ninth was American.
