Turkey 'ignored Gaza flotilla warnings'

Turkey ignored Israel's warnings when it allowed an aid flotilla to sail to Gaza, an inquiry has heard.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first witness to testify to a state-appointed inquiry into a raid in which Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists after boarding their vessel from a helicopter on May 31.

He said Turkey had ignored warnings and appeals "at the highest level" many days before the fatal clash.

The clash took place before dawn in international waters off Israel, after the flotilla ignored repeated Israeli warnings not to continue to Gaza. The enclave is ruled by the Hamas Islamist movement and sealed off by an Israeli naval blockade.

Mr Netanyahu said: "Beginning on May 14, my office held contacts with the highest levels of the Turkish government. These contacts ... were intended to prevent a confrontation with the Marmara flotilla, and they continued until the eve of the flotilla's arrival off Gaza's shores.

"Despite our continuous diplomatic efforts, ultimately the Turkish government did not prevent the attempt by the Marmara to violate the naval blockade... It appears that (Turkey) did not see in the prospect of a clash between Turkish activists and Israel something that clashed with its interests..."

The United Nations has formed its own committee to investigate the Israeli raid, which will meet for the first time on Tuesday.