On June 7, 2010, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad visited Turkey to express solidarity with this country following the Gaza flotilla clash. In a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he rejected Israel's claims about the flotilla, and called its actions a crime meant to punish Turkey for its support of the Arabs. Assad promised that Syria would "be party to any move that the Turkish leadership or people decide to take in response to the [Israeli] aggression."
The following are excerpts from an English-language report on Assad's speech published by the Syrian news agency SANA,[1] as well as several passages from SANA's Arabic report on the speech.[2]
The Flotilla Affair "Reflects an Instinct that Has [Always] Existed in Israel"
"President Bashar Al-Assad confirmed that the Israeli aggression against the Freedom Flotilla was a heinous crime, a premeditated and pre-planned [operation] in which Israel killed the [activists]... whose only goal was to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip... [He] stressed Syria's solidarity with its brothers in Turkey...: 'I convey the solidarity of the Syrian people to their brothers in Turkey, [and our condolences] for the loss of the lives of their sons and brothers [who died defending] the just cause of an oppressed people... They are martyrs and martyrs [reside] in Paradise... Our feelings about the Turkish martyrs are identical to our feelings about losing a Syrian, a Palestinian or any Arab citizen.
"'It is important to know that what happened is not merely a crime, but is part of the nature of Israel, which was founded... upon the blood of the Palestinians… This is not the first time and it was not an accident... These [crimes] began a century ago and are still continuing… What happened was not a mere mistake perpetrated by soldiers or a mistaken decision of the Israeli government... [It] reflects an instinct that has [always] existed in Israel and has developed throughout [its] history'..."
"'We know that the organizers of the flotilla did not even purchase [kitchen] knives, for fear that Israel would use them as an excuse and would claim that it had to defend its troops. In any case, the Israeli lies, that began immediately after the event, did not manage to convince anyone that [Israel] had defended its troops or prevented terrorists from reaching Gaza. They killed innocent Turkish activists that had only one goal – a humanitarian one. [The activists] did not even want to break the blockade, but only to extend symbolic aid [to the people of Gaza]...
"'Israel had several objectives [in attacking]... the Freedom Flotilla: First, it wanted to deter any other flotilla or ship from coming to Gaza, because mentioning the siege on Gaza, and the siege on the Palestinians in general, is forbidden as far as Israel is concerned. [In fact,] even talking about the death of Palestinians is forbidden... What happened in Davos wasn't directed against Premier Erdogan; rather, it was directed against the Turkish people and their positions, such as their stance on the war in Iraq – the Turkish people objected to [using] Turkey and its territories as a base for the illegitimate invasion of a free, independent country.
"'[Another] objective [of Israel's attack on the Flotilla] was to offend the Turkish people and [undermine] their positions in support of Gaza, and their persistent attempts to lift the siege and support aid convoys to the Palestinians. [Yet another] objective was to undermine the stance of the Turkish people in support of their government's role in the peace process.'"
"Today Turkey Is Standing by Gaza, Just As, Over a Century Ago, Ottoman Turkey Refused to Give Palestine to the Jews"
"'Israel must know that as long as it remains the occupier of territories, it will remain the unquestionable enemy of the [rightful] owners of these territories, and as long as Israel continues to be against peace, it will remain the enemy of all peace advocates. We, the indigenous peoples of this region, want peace. When I say 'indigenous peoples,' I do not mean those who came from elsewhere, but only those who have lived here throughout history.
"'The Freedom Flotilla is an important milestone in the history and geography of the region… I'm not talking about a new history, but rather about the old history [of this region]... - its civilized and bright aspects.' President Assad added that the merging of Arab and Turkish blood would break the siege, saying: 'My brother Prime Minister Erdogan said in a recent speech that Jerusalem is the same as Istanbul, and that what happens in the Palestinian territories [is just as important to him as] what happens in Turkish lands, and I say to him that Arab blood and Turkish blood are the same. This is not new; it is a historical [truth]. Today Turkey is standing by Gaza, just as, over a century ago, Ottoman Turkey refused to give Palestine to the Jews... The red Turkish flag, a symbol... of the blood of Turkish martyrs spilt on Palestinian shores, will keep waving in the face of the Israelis until all rights are restored to those who are entitled [to these rights].'
''President al-Assad emphasized that Israel wanted Turkey to say, upon the conclusion of the [Turkish-mediated] indirect negotiations [between Israel and Syria], that the Arabs are the ones who hinder the peace process. However, Syria's prompt response to the Turkish initiative unmasked Israel and showed the world that it is Israel, rather than the Syrian or the Arab side, who stands in the way of peace... Israel wanted Erdogan to make vague statements without meaning, similar to what we used to hear from Western officials.
"President Assad added: 'Israel is addicted to biased mediation. [This addiction] is similar to drug addiction. When an addict is deprived of his drugs, he enters a state of withdrawal and is capable of anything.'
"President al-Assad said [further]: 'We Syrians are not supporters of speeches or statements, but of action. I told Prime Minister Erdogan and President 'Abdallah Gul that we will be party, without hesitation, to any move that the Turkish leadership or people decide to take in response to the [Israeli] aggression and with the aim of curbing Israel's wild behavior. At the very least, an international investigation committee must be established, as per Turkey's demand... [However,] Israel is not a defendant because it is not merely accused of a crime, it already stands convicted...'"
