Turkish MP: UN should impose severe sanctions on Israel

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

A senior Turkish ruling party lawmaker on Tuesday urged the UN to impose tough sanctions on Israel.

In a statement, Hasan Turan, the head of parliament’s Turkey-Palestine parliamentary friendship group, criticized the UN for merely criticizing Israel’s Monday attack on Gaza.

"The UN and the international community should get out of condemnation mode," said Turan, a member of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.

The UN “should impose severe sanctions” on Israel, he added.

Turan stressed that without sanctions, Israel will never "abandon its impertinence.”

At least 14 Palestinians have been martyred in Israeli attacks in Gaza since Sunday.

The Israeli army claims the attacks are in response to rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel.

Since March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred by Israeli army gunfire -- and thousands more injured -- while taking part in ongoing rallies along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone.