Turkish Ship Unloads Aid to Gaza at Ashdod
20 months after the Mavi Marmara, Turkey sends assistance to Gaza without trying to break blockade.
By Gil Ronen
First Publish: 2/5/2012, 9:54 PM

Twenty months after the Mavi Marmara incident, a Turkish ship carrying medical aid for Gaza has arrived at Ashdod Port in Israel. Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reports that Turkish Deputy Premier Bekir Bozdag confirmed this news Saturday. The ship will unload its cargo at Ashdod, and Israel will then transfer the supplies into Gaza. Bozdag was quoted by Turkish daily, Zaman, as saying that "innocent civilians not only die by shelling but can be killed by the strict siege they are being held under, which prevents the entry of food, medicine and other basic needs." He said Turkey had submitted a request to the Israeli Defense Ministry, to allow safe passage for the aid ship in October last year. The ship reportedly carries aid worth $1.5 million.

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