Dozens protest Israeli volleyball team in Turkey
AFP
ANKARA- Dozens of protestors gathered here Saturday to protest an Israeli team playing in a volleyball tournament in Turkey after the Jewish state's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish aid ship.
Amid a heavy police presence, about 150 to 200 people converged near the sports hall in capital Ankara where the Israeli team played Serbia in a semi-final for the Women's European League title, an AFP photographer said.
"Mavi Marmara is our honour," chanted the protestors, referring to the Turkish ship on which nine Turkish activists were killed in an Israeli commando operation on May 31.
"This is Turkey, not Israel," the demonstrators, many of them carrying Palestinian flags, shouted, often breaking into chants of "Allahu Akbar!" ("God is great").
A group of demonstrators tried to force their way through the police barricade around the sports hall, but were pushed back by police.
A spokesman for the protestors told AFP that they expected Turkish officials to cancel Israel's matches and expel the team in the light of the strained ties between the two countries.
"A country holds sports competitions with other countries to strengthen their friendship," Ayhan Altintas told AFP over the telephone.
"We have no friendship with Israel. We cannot accept that these people were allowed to come to Turkey.
"How can the Turkish government ask Israel to account for the raid when it cannot even scrap a volleyball game?," he said.
Police took extensive security measures for Saturday's match, blocking off traffic around the sports hall. A police car escorted the Israeli team to and out of the hall.
Agents from the Israeli internal security services also accompanied the team, the Anatolia news agency said.
No spectators were allowed into the match, in which Israel was defeated 3-0 by Serbia.
In the second semi-final, Turkey will play Bulgaria later Saturday. If the Turkish team loses, it will meet Israel in a third-place match on Sunday.
Turkish-Israeli ties plunged into a deep crisis after the May 31 raid, which prompted Ankara to withdraw its ambassador and cancel planned military exercises with the Jewish state.
Turkey says it expects Israel to apologise over the raid, compensate the families of the victims and lift the blockade of Gaza to repair the relations.
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"This is Turkey, not Israel," the demonstrators, many of them carrying Palestinian flags, shouted, often breaking into chants of "Allahu Akbar!" ("God is great").
A group of demonstrators tried to force their way through the police barricade around the sports hall, but were pushed back by police.
A spokesman for the protestors told AFP that they expected Turkish officials to cancel Israel's matches and expel the team in the light of the strained ties between the two countries.
"A country holds sports competitions with other countries to strengthen their friendship," Ayhan Altintas told AFP over the telephone.
"We have no friendship with Israel. We cannot accept that these people were allowed to come to Turkey.
"How can the Turkish government ask Israel to account for the raid when it cannot even scrap a volleyball game?," he said.
Police took extensive security measures for Saturday's match, blocking off traffic around the sports hall. A police car escorted the Israeli team to and out of the hall.
Agents from the Israeli internal security services also accompanied the team, the Anatolia news agency said.
No spectators were allowed into the match, in which Israel was defeated 3-0 by Serbia.
In the second semi-final, Turkey will play Bulgaria later Saturday. If the Turkish team loses, it will meet Israel in a third-place match on Sunday.
Turkish-Israeli ties plunged into a deep crisis after the May 31 raid, which prompted Ankara to withdraw its ambassador and cancel planned military exercises with the Jewish state.
Turkey says it expects Israel to apologise over the raid, compensate the families of the victims and lift the blockade of Gaza to repair the relations.
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