Turkey: No normalization with Israel until Gaza blockade removed

Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalın said that he expected no normalization with Israel unless Turkey's conditions on the Gaza blockade are met. Kalın also stated that Turkey will continue to play a role until a two-state solution is reached on the Palestinian issue.

"Turkey will stand by Gaza until our conditions are met. Our attitude toward this issue has never changed," said Kalın.

The spokesman also dismissed the statement of Israeli Welfare and Social Services Minister Haim Katz, who urged Palestinians to leave the country claiming that there was no such thing such as Palestine. He described the statement as 'unfortunate.'

Turkey and Israel have been holding talks to normalize relations more than five years after Israeli troops stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters.

Nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists were killed in a battle at sea with Israeli naval commandos. In March 2013, Netanyahu expressed his regret for the Mavi Marmara killings over the phone next to US President Barack Obama, who brokered the deal. Ultimately, Israel agreed to increase reparations for the victims to 20 million dollars.

However, the Gaza blockade is an obstacle to the normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel.

Presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın has said that Russia is not fighting Daesh in Syria and that they have made this clear by supporting the Assad regime.

"Russia has not been fighting Daesh in Syria, just used the terror group as an excuse," Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalın said on Monday.

Kalın also noted that Turkey actively participates in the coalition against Daesh and has deported over 2,800 suspects.

Presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said that Turkey is determined in its dignified standing during the crisis between Turkey and Russia which began with the downing of an SU-24 Russian bomber in Turkish airspace.

"Since November 24, Turkey has always aimed at solving the problem and it stayed calm despite Russia's provocative attitude and its black propaganda," Kalın said.

"We didn't obstruct the communication channels. If Russia reacts to us positively, we will do what is needed to normalize relations again," Kalın said.

Kalın, who commented on the operations in southeastern Turkey, told that no country allows a terror group to excavate ditches, terrorize the region and occupy residents' homes.

"No democratic country would allow the terrorist group which attempts to gain power by political coarseness and banditry," the Turkish Presidential Spokesman said.

"Our citizens understood the intention of the party which attempts to support the terrorist group whenever possible. This plan is not going to work. No one can divide the Republic of Turkey," Kalın said.