(JTA) — Turkey summoned the American envoy for a reprimand over remarks about the U.N. flotilla probe by the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
U.N. envoy Susan Rice said Monday that the U.N. investigation of the Turkish Gaza-bound flotilla was "not a substitute" for investigations under way by Israel and Turkey.
"The United States is viewing the commission from a narrow perspective," an unnamed diplomat told the French news agency AFP. "[Rice’s] statement was one that seemed to give the impression the U.S. was determining the commission’s work."
U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-moon on Monday appointed a four-member commission to investigate the incident.
Israel’s interception of the Gaza-bound flotilla led to the death of nine Turkish nationals, including one Turkish-American dual citizen.
Turkey has demanded that Israel apologize for its interception of the flotilla and pay compensation to the victims.
Relations between Israel and Turkey began deteriorating following the monthlong Gaza war in winter 2008-09.
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