Up and Coming: Turkey 'wants better Israel ties'

Monday, December 27, 2010

Turkey 'wants better Israel ties'

The raid on the Mavi Marmara resulted in the deaths of nine pro-Palestinian activists

Turkey's foreign minister says he wants to repair ties with Israel, damaged when Israeli troops killed eight Turks and a Turkish-US national amid clashes on a pro-Palestinian aid ship in May.

Ahmet Davutoglu reiterated that Israel must apologise for the deaths, which led Turkey to withdraw its ambassador.

Israel, which insists the commandos fired in self-defence, said it was also seeking better relations with Ankara.

The ship, the Mavi Marmara, is due to return to Istanbul, Turkey, on Sunday.

The two nations have had 15 years of good relations, including a number of military and trade pacts, and have held talks in Geneva recently to try to restore ties.

But the talks foundered, reportedly because Israel refused to apologise for the 31 May raid.

"Turkish citizens have been killed in international waters, nothing can cover up this truth," said Mr Davutoglu.

"We want to both preserve relations and defend our rights. If our friendship with Israel is to continue, the way for it is to apologise and offer compensation."

He said Turkish attempts to repair ties - including helping Israel tackle devastating forest fires - had not been reciprocated.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said improving the relationship was an "unchanged goal".

He said Israel's record in sending humanitarian aid to Turkey "speaks in a much more truthful and friendly manner than this statement by the Turkish foreign minister".

The Mavi Marmara, which has been undergoing repairs, is due to return to its home port of Istanbul later on Sunday.

Large crowds, including family members of the nine killed activists, are expected to greet the ship in a ceremony organised by the activists who sent it.

The Mavi Marmara was part of an aid flotilla which was trying to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

A blockade has been imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt since the Islamist militant group, Hamas, seized control in 2007.

In the wake of the outcry over the raid, Israel began allowing most consumer items into Gaza, but still maintains a complete air and naval blockade, limits the movement of people, and bans exports.

Israel says the measures are needed to stop weapons being smuggled to militants, but the UN says they amount to collective punishment of Gaza's 1.5 million people.

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