Turkey said today it could cut ties with Israel to a minimum after a sea raid on a Turkish ship bound for Gaza plunged relations to their lowest since the two countries forged a strategic relationship in the 1990s.Turkey's deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc said existing military and economic agreements with Israel were now on the table for discussion after nine Turkish nationals were killed when Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara on Monday. "We are serious about this subject," he told NTV broadcaster in an interview. "We may plan to reduce our relations with Israel to a minimum, but to assume everything involving another country is stopped in an instant, to say we have crossed you out of our address book, is not the custom of our state," he said.
Turkey, Israel's only Muslim ally, had already recalled its ambassador and cancelled joint military exercises after the nine activists were killed while trying to break a blockade on Gaza.
A spokeswoman for activists aboard another boat trying to run the blockade said they would continue their voyage. Israel, facing an international outcry over its naval operation on Monday, has vowed to stop the MV Rachel Corrie , named after an activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israeli forces to exercise "caution and politeness" in handling the ship. The boat is expected near the waters off Gaza by Saturday.