Turkey steps in after Egypt police attack Gaza aid activists

Turkey stepped in after Egyptian security forces clashed on Wednesday with members of an international aid convoy trying to take relief supplies to Palestinians in the Gaza strip.

A Reuters correspondent in the port city of Arish, 40 km (25 miles) from Egypt's border with Gaza, saw security forces throwing stones at about 520 people travelling with the convoy.

The protestors were holding four members of the Arish harbour police while security forces detained seven members of the convoy, who have been locked in a dispute with Egyptian authorities over the route of the 198 trucks.

Witnesses told Bernama news agency, the incident was provoked by agents provocateurs of the Egyptian government.

Police used water cannon to force the protestors to leave Arish harbour, a security source said. Around 40 members of the convoy had minor injuries while around 15 police officials were hurt, witnesses said.

Cairo insists the food and other supplies should go to Gaza via an Israeli-controlled checkpoint while the convoy's leaders want to use the Egyptian-controlled Rafah border crossing.

Egyptian authorities wanted 55 of the trucks to go to the Israeli checkpoint, said George Galloway, the British MP.

"We refused this," he told Reuters TV. "It is completely unconscionable that 25 percent of our convoy should go to Israel and never arrive in Gaza. Because nothing that ever goes to Israel, ever arrives in Gaza."

/World Bulletin/