Turkey holds the view that Israel has the legal right to transit through the Suez Canal, a Turkish Foreign Office spokesman said today.
He recalled that Turkey had supported the United Nations Security Council 1951 resolution upholding Israel’s right to freedom of passage and told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent that “no change has occurred in Turkey’s attitude since then.”
The Turkish spokesman also reaffirmed Turkey’s support of the six “basic requirements” for operation of the Suez Canal adopted by the Security Council last October. Egypt does not have the right to halt any shipping, even that of countries with which Egypt may be at war, according to the Turkish interpretation of the Constantinople Convention of 1888, the spokesman declared.
While privately admitting Israel’s right of passage through the international waterway. Turkish officials are opposed to any attempt by Israel to force the way through the canal for an Israel ship.
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