Turkey has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council following the attack by Israeli forces on the Freedom Flotilla which was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Most of the ships in the flotilla were sailing under the Turkish flag.

Anatol News Agency in Turkey confirmed that Foreign Minister Ahmed Daoud Oglo has left for New York for this purpose. At the same time, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogen has cut short his visit to Latin America and returned to Turkey.

Turkish media sources have confirmed the government will recall its ambassador from Israel, not least because most of those killed and wounded in the Israeli attack were Turkish nationals.