Turkish PM: Israel should be barred from UN
'How can a country that does not implement Security Council resolutions be allowed to enter through the gates of the UN headquarters,' Recep Tayyip Erdogan says
Turkey's prime minister on Friday said Israel should be barred from the United Nations while it ignores the body's calls to stop fighting in Gaza.
"How is such a country, which does not implement resolutions of the UN Security Council, allowed to enter through the gates of the UN (headquarters)?" Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Erdogan spoke before UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrives in Ankara to discuss the conflict.
His comments reflected a growing anger in Turkey, Israel's best friend in the Muslim world, over Israel's Gaza operation.
Erdogan accused Israel of attacking civilians under the pretext of targeting Islamic militant group of Hamas.
President Abdullah Gul on Friday renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire and also urged US President-elect Barack Obama to focus on a comprehensive, long-lasting and fair solution once in office.
Last week a Turkish man set himself on fire in protest of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Passers by were quick to extinguish the flame, and the man was evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Israel's military industries have expressed concerns that the Israeli offensive in Gaza may have an unforeseen industrial backlash on their out-of-state contracts.
Sources in the industries fear the mounting objections to the Gaza campaign noted in Muslim countries, especially Turkey, may place various business ventures at risk.
