Israeli ambassador leaves Turkey

By Izzet Taskiran

ANKARA

Eitan Naeh, Israeli ambassador in Ankara, left Turkey on Wednesday at the country’s request following indiscriminate violence and killings by Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border.

Accompanied by a personal security guard and some consulate officers, Naeh left for Tel Aviv from Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport at 11.30 a.m. [0830GMT] on a Turkish Airlines charter plane.

On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned Naeh to tell him it would be "appropriate" for him to return to his country "for a while".

At least 62 Palestinian demonstrators were martyred and hundreds more injured by Israeli armed forces along the Gaza border Monday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Thousands of Palestinians had gathered on Gaza Strip’s eastern border Monday to take part in protests aimed to commemorate the Nakba anniversary and protest the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Since the border rallies began on March 30, more than 100 Palestinian demonstrators have been martyred by cross-border Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Last week, the Israeli government said the ongoing border protests constituted a “state of war” in which international humanitarian law did not apply.