British PM: Flotilla raid unacceptable

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Tuesday the world needs Turkey's help in pushing Iran to address international concerns about its suspected nuclear weapons program, and he harshly criticized Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla that killed nine activists aboard a Turkish aid ship.

Cameron, addressing Turkish businessmen, also declared that Britain was a staunch backer of Turkey's troubled bid to join the European Union. His visit early in his term was a measure of Britain's acknowledgment of Turkey as a critical ally in a conflict-prone region, much as President Obama traveled to Turkey, NATO's only Muslim member, in 2009 to boost a partnership despite differences on key issues.

Cameron's strong reference to the flotilla was likely to please his Turkish hosts, though he said an Israeli inquiry into the May 31 incident should be swift and transparent. That comment differed from Turkey's public stance that any inquiry should be international.

"The Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla was completely unacceptable," Cameron said. In a reference to the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory, he said: "Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp."

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