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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday described as "very weird," the diplomats sent by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyhu to help negotiate a re-normaliztion of relations between the two countries, Turkish daily Today\’s Zaman reported Friday. Ties between Turkey and Israel were strained following the 2010 Mavi Marmaraincident, in which IDF commandos killed nine Turkish citizens attempting to break the blockade on Gaza.
The Turkish prime minister, speaking to journalists on his return flight to Ankara from Berlin, reiterated his three demands for rehabilitating ties with Israel, Today\’s Zamanreported.
“It is impossible that our relations will be fixed unless these demands are realized,” Erdoğan said, according to the report.
The Turkish prime minister, speaking to journalists on his return flight to Ankara from Berlin, reiterated his three demands for rehabilitating ties with Israel, Turkish daily Today\’s Zaman reported Friday.
“It is impossible that our relations will be fixed unless these demands are realized,” Erdoğan said, according to the report.
While Israel has expressed willingness to meet several of Turkey\’s conditions, it has refused Erdogan\’s demand that the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip be lifted.
"I clearly told them (Israeli diplomats) that Turkey is not open to options that include offering apology and compensation but not lifting Gaza blockade,” Today\’s Zaman quoted Erdogan as saying.
Israel has indicated it would agree to a text along the lines of an apology “if” operational mistakes were made and unintentional damage caused. It also has agreed to reparation payments.
It refuses, however, to lift the blockade as a condition to improved relations, saying Turkey cannot be allowed to dictate Israeli policy.