Turkey to send delegation to US over Israel crisis

World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has decided to send a delegation to the United States in relation to Israel's attack to Gaza aid ships.

Nine people, including eight Turkish and one U.S. citizen of Turkish descent, died when Israeli forces raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on May 31. Around 30 people were wounded in the attack.

The ship was also carrying activists from Britain, Germany, Malaysia, Belgium, Ireland and elsewhere.

Headed by AK Party Deputy Chairman Omer Celik, who is also responsible for External Relations in the party will go to the U.S next week to handle the crisis with Israel.

Celik and the Turkish delegation will present Turkey's arguments and evidences to the U.S. State Department officials about the Israeli attack on the ships.

The visit will also set the foundation for the meeting between Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama that it is to be held in Canada on the G20 summit.

The Turkish minister had defined the Israeli attack on aid flotilla as a problem between Israel and international community and international law, not a problem between Turkey and Israel.