Israel reportedly mulling apologizing for ‘errors’ on ‘Mavi Marmara’
Israel may apologize to Turkey for “operational errors” during its fatal raid on a 2010 Turkish aid flotilla to Gaza ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama, according to the Turkish newspaper Radikal.
The February 20 report claimed that the partial apology may have been the subject of secret talks between Ankara and Jerusalem.
Radikal journalist Deniz Zeyrek wrote that unnamed Turkish Foreign Ministry officials told him on February 19 that “such meetings could be going on.” Obama, who is due to visit Israel in March, has pressed for reconciliation between the US allies.
As a condition to normalizing diplomatic ties with Israel, Turkey has demanded that Israel apologize for the death of nine activists who were killed when Israeli commandoes raided the Mavi Marmara ship during a takeover operation in the Mediterranean.
The aid ship, chartered by the Islamist IHH organization, was headed to the Gaza Strip in defiance of Israel’s naval blockade on the Hamas-run area.
Turkey has also demanded Israel “lift the siege,” but is prepared to drop that demand, the report in Radikal said. Additionally, Israel will offer compensation to the families of those killed, according to the report.
Such a deal was under consideration in the summer of 2011, but was scuttled in part because of objections by then-foreign minister Avigdor Liberman.
Radikal quoted an unnamed Turkish diplomat as saying “It does not seem likely that any step will be taken before the new Israeli government is formed and an official position adopted.”