Netanyahu believed Turkey's Erdogan would stop Gaza flotilla, report says

Israel state comptroller’s report reveals that flotilla crisis was not averted despite diplomatic communications through various channels.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Vice Prime MinisterMoshe Ya'aalon.

In light of State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss’ report concerning the ensuing incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that he had received messages from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which implied that the latter hinted he would stop the flotilla, though failed to do so.

Netanyahu was in indirect contact with Erdogan in attempts to prevent the ships from setting sail.

The comptroller’s report reveals that channels of communication Erdogan used to relay messages to Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren through the Turkish Ambassador to the U.S., Namik Taan, included former head of Egyptian intelligence, Omar Suleiman, and other parties.

“The prime minister acted intensively through diplomatic channels, primarily with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, in order to stop the flotilla,” read a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office to the State Comptroller. “Efforts led to a high feasibility that the flotilla would be stopped,” continued the report.

The Prime Minister’s Office notified Lindenstrauss that Erdogan, “despite the impression he conveyed, did not stop the flotilla in the end, and the Prime Minister was made aware of that fact with only a week’s notice before the flotilla set sail.”

In his response to the state comptroller, Netanyahu claims that his diplomatic efforts “succeeded in reducing the scope of the Turkish flotilla.”

In light of the comptroller’s report, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman pointed out that he raised the subject of the flotilla and the need to prevent it during numerous meetings and policy discussions.

Lieberman even revealed that he spoke on the phone with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, on May 18, 2010, roughly two weeks before the flotilla began its journey.

The comptroller’s report revealed that as early as April 15, 2010 the Foreign Ministry began to act through embassies in Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece, requesting that they approach the foreign ministries in their host countries, and express Israel’s willingness to transfer humanitarian aid materials to Gaza through the appropriate channels.

The embassies, which included the Israeli embassy in Cairo as well, also related Israel’s expectation that the nations in question would apply diplomatic pressure in an attempt to stop the flotilla.

On April 21, 2010, then Israeli ambassador to Turkey, Gabi Levy, met with senior Turkish Foreign Ministry officials about the flotilla. A week later, Levi met with the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Committee chairman.

The comptroller’s report also reveals that through diplomatic correspondence with Turkey, the Turkish Ambassador to the U.S., Namik Tan, proposed a plan, which was never actualized, to Israel’s envoy to the U.S. Michael Oren, which called for Israel to allow the cargo to Gaza through the port of Ashkelon.

Israel agreed to the proposal on May 17, two weeks before the flotilla set out for Gaza, as the deputy director of the Foreign Ministry’s Western European divison, Naor Gilon, met with the assistant to Turkey’s ambassador to Israel.

Gilon attempted to prevent the flotilla from embarking on its journey, and expressed Israel’s willingness to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza through appropriate channels.

Ten days later, and four days prior to the arrival of the flotilla, then director of the Foreign Minister’s office, Yosi Gal, invited the Turkish ambassador’s assistant for another discussion, and stated that Israel was prepared to receive the ships in Ashdod, and transfer the cargo to Gaza after checking it.

Gal telephoned the director of the Turkish Foreign Ministry to ensure that the message had been received. Another conversation took place 24 hours before the flotilla reached Gaza’s shores, without result.

Lieberman notified the comptroller that during the weeks leading up to the flotilla, he discussed the matter with the foreign ministers of Norway, Australia, Romania, Colombia, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Japan, Croatia, Beligum, Denmark, Russia, and South Korea. Lieberman also worked in conjunction with the government of Cyprus, speaking to the foreign minister and parliament president. During that period, Cyrpus stated that it would not allow ships to set sail for Gaza from its ports.