Israel Matzav

Huh? IDF letting two Turkish groups visit Gaza

Despite Turkey breaking its agreement to normalize relations with Israel and despite Egypt refusing to allow Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan into Gaza, the IDF is going to let two Turkish groups visit the Islamist enclave. In fact, one of them seems to have visited already (Hat Tip: Joshua I).

The Turkish groups include a delegation from the Turkish Red Crescent Society. The group of 14 doctors, nurses, and medical personnel visited a new hospital being built in Gaza with Turkish money. The group also visited an agricultural project Turkey is funding. The second delegation consists of executives from the construction firm that is building the hospital. No date has been set for that visit.

The visits were cleared by the IDF after Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon approved them, based on a promise by the Turkish groups that they would not meet with Hamas terrorist group officials.

Earlier, reports in the Egyptian press said that a planned visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was canceled by Egyptian authorities. A message on social network Twitter by Ibrahim Kalın, chief advisor to Erdogan, said that the visit was canceled to the “prolonged crisis” in Egypt. However, sources in Egypt said that the reason Erdogan was not welcome was concern over his Islamist positions and his affinity for the Muslim Brotherhood.

So now the only person who needs to be kept out of Gaza is Erdogan and only if he enters through Egypt? What the.... 

Labels: Gaza, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish obsession with Israel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:56 PM