Turkey 'wants to repair ties with Israel'

[Thomas]

Turkey 'wants to repair ties with Israel'
26 December 2010

BBC News - Turkey 'wants to repair ties with Israel'


Turkey's foreign minister has said he wants to repair ties with Israel damaged when Israeli troops killed eight Turkish nationals 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 insists the commandos fired in self-defence and its foreign minister has said there will be no apology.

The ship involved, the Mavi Marmara, has been welcomed back to Istanbul.

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.

'Unchanged goal'

Mr Davutoglu said the only way for both countries to "preserve relations" would be for Israel to apologise and offer compensation.

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

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

Following the comments, Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said it should not be Israel to say sorry.

"On the apology issue, this borders rudeness and is even beyond rudeness," he said.

"If anyone has to apologise, it is the Turkish government to Israel for its co-operation with terror entities, for supporting terror."

The Mavi Marmara, which has been undergoing repairs, sailed back to its home port of Istanbul on Sunday afternoon.

Large crowds, including family members of the nine dead activists, greeted the vessel in a ceremony organised by the activists who sent it.

The ship 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.

 

[DesiGuy]

so what happened....turkey?

 

[Solomon2]

Interesting how things have unintended consequences. The MM mess impelled the traditionally anti-Israel Greeks to improve relations with Israel - for it seems Greek hatred of Jews is superficial in comparison to Greek hatred of Turks. The improved relations probably led to the Israeli-Cypriot sea border accord which has so upset the Arabs because it now seems certain the Israelis will exploit the Mediterranean gas reserves within Israel's economic zone.

Improvement of Israel-Turk relations may have to wait until the current Turkish PM, Erdogan, has left office; then Turkey and Israel will be free to pursue terror collaboration charges against him without so much political fallout. Yet Erdogan is bent on altering the Turkish government and society. Who knows if by the time he is through how much democracy will remain? So for the forseeable future Israel will have to content itself with its new Greek ally.

 

[bandit]

Israel doesn't seem to care...

Turkey and Israel won't budge over raid riftPosted 6 hours 54 minutes ago

Israeli and Turkish officials have both refused to apologise for a deadly raid on an aid flotilla earlier this year.

Relations between once close allies have frayed almost to breaking point over the incident in which eight Turks were killed when Israeli commandos stormed the ships to stop them delivering food and medicine to Gaza.

Turkey yesterday said it would be open to reconciliation if Israel accepted responsibility for the deaths.

But Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman says Turkey should apologise for supporting terrorist groups.

"On the apology issue, this borders on rudeness - it's even beyond rudeness," he said.

"If anyone has to apologise it's the Turkish government to Israel for its cooperation with terror entities - for supporting terror.

"There will be no apology."

However, Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Andy David says the countries are engaging in discreet talks.

"The two countries need to get back on track, need to get back their diplomatic relations as they were before, to be friendly, and I believe that that is not far," he said.

Earlier this month, the two sides held fence-mending talks in Geneva and drew up a draft deal to end the crisis.

However, the agreement is yet to be approved by Israel.

The draft calls for Israel to apologise for the raid, compensate the victims' families and for both sides to resume full ties, including the return of Turkey's ambassador to Tel Aviv, who was recalled over the incident.

But there is significant Israeli opposition to issuing an apology for the incident which could be seen as an admission of liability and open Israel or its troops to prosecution in international courts.

Meanwhile, the Turkish ferry that was the target of Israel's deadly naval raid has received a rapturous welcome from thousands on its return to Istanbul after a lengthy refit.

Crowds waving Turkish and Palestinian flags lined the quayside, many chanting 'Allah is Great', as the Mavi Marmara berthed on Sunday (local time).

According to the ferry's owner, a Turkish campaign group called IHH, the Mavi Marmara will be part of a new flotilla which will leave for Gaza on May 31, 2011, exactly one year on from the deadly raid.

- AFP

 

[Archdemon]

An apology is unacceptable! they wanted an international investigation and at the same time apology and compensation, so what for investigation if they already convicted Israel as guilty? maybe we should wait to investigation report?

 

[TheRafael00000]

Why would Turkey need Israeli alliance? Turkey got great future, as Israel concern, I do doubt it's existence 10 to 20 yrs from now. InshaAllah.

 

[TR.1]

THIS IS A FAKE HEADING , WE DONT WANT TO REPAIR ANYTHING UNLESS THEY APOLOGISE AND PAY COMENSATION

Mr Davutoglu said the only way for both countries to "preserve relations" would be for Israel to apologise and offer compensation.

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

 

[Meengla]

THIS IS A FAKE HEADING , WE DONT WANT TO REPAIR ANYTHING UNLESS THEY APOLOGISE AND PAY COMENSATION
Mr Davutoglu said the only way for both countries to "preserve relations" would be for Israel to apologise and offer compensation.

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

Correct.
Nothing new is said: The Turkish position is the same. But, perhaps, the Turks want to nudge Israel toward an 'apology' again to repair the ties? But looking at what Lieberman said--basically calling the Turkish govt. a supporter of terrorism--Israel is not going to budge so long the current govt. is in power in Israel.

 

[Harry_Thomason]

Its ironic, Israel commandos killed eight civilians and... asks for apology?

Another irony is, Israel is right about Turkey "supporting terror", just in another place - Syria.

 

[T-Rex]

Who knows if by the time he is through how much democracy will remain?

It's amazing that charlatans like you still have the audacity to pose as the champions of democracy! Just how mach democracy was there in Turkey to begin with when the generals of the Turkish army called the shots in the name of secularism? But it was fine with you then, wasn't it? You didn't worry about democracy in Egypt when mubarak ruled, did you? Do you worry about democracy in Saudi Arabia, right now? So, shut your vile mouth, stop pretending that you worry about democracy. The world has seen enough of your rants about democracy, the world knows that it's all crocodile's tear.

 

[Meengla]

It's amazing that charlatans like you still have the audacity to pose as the champions of democracy! Just how mach democracy was there in Turkey to begin with when the generals of the Turkish army called the shots in the name of secularism? But it was fine with you then, wasn't it? You didn't worry about democracy in Egypt when mubarak ruled, did you? Do you worry about democracy in Saudi Arabia, right now? So, shut your vile mouth, stop pretending that you worry about democracy. The world has seen enough of your rants about democracy, the world knows that it's all crocodile's tear.

Correct.
The sooner all of us realize that EVERYTHING is about materialism and seriously study some of Karl Max's ideas the better.
For the past two decades or so I have concluded that Marx is much more relevant than most of the things we give weight to.