RAMALLAH, September 3, 2011 (WAFA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu Friday telephoned President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss Palestinian-Turkish relations and the Palestinian bid to seek United Nations recognition in September.

They also discussed Israeli-Turkish relations following Israel's refusal to apologize for the killing of nine Turkish activists on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla last year.

Turkey had decided to lower diplomatic ties with Israel, ordering the Israeli ambassador to Turkey to leave the country. It had also suspended all military agreements between them.

Tawfik Tirawi, member of Fatah Central Committee, said Friday that Turkey's decision to expel the Israeli ambassador and to withdraw its ambassador, which means downgrading Turkey’s diplomatic representations in Israel, following Israel's refusal to apologize “is the least response of any country that had its citizens killed while on a solidarity, humane and peaceful mission that aimed to break the siege on Gaza.”

He said that Turkey's response “is a punch that Israel deserves as a punishment for its crimes against humanity.” He said Israel's refusal to apologize is proof of the Israeli “arrogance and its lack of respect for human life.”

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, welcomed the Turkish decision describing it as “a step in the right direction in response to Israeli's arrogance.”

It said in a press release on Friday that Hamas fully supports Turkey’s decision to prosecute Israel before international courts for the killing of the nine activists in international water.

It called on Arab and Islamic countries to follow Turkey’s suit and boycott Israel and push for an end to the siege Israel had imposed on Gaza since 2006.

T.R/M.A.