Turkey's ruling party supports Gaza

ANKARA (A.A) – January 3, 2012 - Deputy chairman of Turkish ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party said on Tuesday that the party was supporting Gaza. Meeting Ismail Haniya, the prime minister of the Palestinian administration in Gaza, Omer Celik said Turkish executives hoped to visit Haniya in Gaza soon. "We hope we can freely sit and chat in Jerusalem soon," Celik also said. Haniya, in his part, said Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan had earned a significant place in hearts of Gazan people as well as all Palestinian people around the world because he supported Gaza and stood by Gaza during the blockade and war. "Our people have never forgotten Mr. Prime Minister's stance in Davos, and we should not forget that he conditioned normalization of relations with Israel on lifting of blockade on Gaza," Haniya said. Haniya also said, "Mr. Prime Minister also brought up the executives of invader forces to international courts on charges of international war crimes not only due to the raid on Mavi Marmara (aid flotilla) but also Gaza blockade." During his visit to Turkey, Haniya met Premier Erdogan and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).  Haniya also met executives of Peace & Democracy Party (BDP) and People's Voice Party (HAS), and visited the Mavi Marmara aid ship which was attacked by Israeli forces. Nine Turks were killed in the attack in May 2010.