Erdogan aims to ‘monitor blockade’ during Gaza visit

Erdogan aims to ‘monitor blockade’ during Gaza visit.(TOI).Ankara will monitor the situation in Gaza to ensure that Israel fulfills its obligation to lift the blockade on the territory, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.

According to the Today’s Zaman newspaper, Erdogan said he would visit Gaza and the West Bank to make sure Israel holds up its end of a new agreement to normalize diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Erdogan reportedly told parliamentarians that he would accompany Turkish relief organizations to the West Bank and Gaza to monitor the blockade and the humanitarian situation in these territories.

Earlier this week, Erdogan said he was likely to visit Gaza — and the West Bank — next month. Israel’s National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror said Israel had “nothing to be ashamed of” in Gaza, and that if Erdogan wanted to visit, he would have to explain to the international community why he wanted good relations with the terrorist organization — Hamas — that runs the strip.

On Saturday, Erdogan appeared to backtrack on the understandings reached with Netanyahu, saying it was too early to cancel legal steps against Israeli soldiers who took part in the raid on the Mamara and that the exchange of ambassadors between Israel and Turkey would not take place immediately.

Then, on Sunday, Erdogan reiterated that normalized relations with Jerusalem would only happen if Israel implemented its side of an ostensible new bargain with Turkey, which he claimed included Israel’s lifting its security blockade of Gaza.

“We have said: ‘An apology will be made, compensation will be paid and the blockade on Palestine will be lifted.’ There will be no normalization without these,” Erdogan said.Hmmmm......He will exploit the situation forever.It's pretty obvious by the buildup of his army, navy and air force what his long term goals are, Israel must be blind and deaf to trust this man.Read the full story here.