'Erdogan seeks reconciliation; Barak won't apologize'
Turkish prime minister wants to normalize relations with Israel before upcoming June elections, but defense minister, IDF officials refuse to issue apology, a Turkish newspaper report claims
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is willing to make amends with Israel before Turkey's general election in June 2011, on condition that it apologizes for the fatal flotilla incident and compensates the victim's families, Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman reported on Saturday.
On the backdrop of reconciliation talks in Geneva, a Turkish official told the newspaper that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is interested in normalizing relations with Ankara, but Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak refuse to issue an apology.
According to the report, top IDF ranks also objected issuing an apology for the killing of nine activists onboard the Mavi Marmara last May.
"Israeli military officials are not against paying compensation to the families of the slain activists, but do oppose an Israeli apology," the report read.
Members of the Turkish cabinet stated that the IDF's hard-line position undermined talks between Turkish Deputy Foreign Ministry Feridun Sinirlioglu and Israel's representative at the UN flotilla commission Yosef Ciechanover, which began recently in Geneva.
"Even though Barak said that continued tension in Turkish-Israeli relations would not serve the goal of stability in the Middle East, he has been against an Israeli apology toward Turkey," said one of the sources.
Debate over wording
Turkish daily Hurriyet reported that as part of ongoing negotiations, Israel demanded Turkey to refrain from filing lawsuits against the State of Israel or IDF soldiers, in return for an apology and compensation for the families of the victims.However, the report noted that the organizers of the flotilla, who appealed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, refused to budge.
"We will not give up on our cases," said IHH official Salih Bilici.
Ozdem Sanberk, the Turkish representative at the UN commission of inquiry for the flotilla incident, told reporters that there is an ongoing debate over the use of the word "apology."
“As far as it concerns the Turkish side, it has never negotiated a word other than the word ‘apology’,” he said.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday said that no new meeting has been scheduled between the two parties, but noted that it did not mean the talks have been stalled.
“Contacts will continue,” the spokesperson told reporters at a press briefing.
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