Israel’s Olmert says he would apologize to Turkey over Mavi Marmara raid

11 years ago | Posted in: Latest Politics News | 584 Views

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has suggested that he would have apologized to Turkey over the killing of nine Turks during a 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“If I were prime minister, I would have apologized to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and the Turkish people because civilians lost their lives,” Olmert said while speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

Turkish-Israeli relations were badly damaged after Israeli naval commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara in the eastern Mediterranean to breach the Israeli-imposed embargo in Gaza. Eight Turkish citizens and one Turkish American were killed during the raid. Turkey continues to demand an apology, compensation to families of the victims and the lifting of the Gaza blockade. Israel has only expressed regret over the killings and says its soldiers acted in self-defense.

Olmert said if he were Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Israeli prime minister, he would have contacted the Turkish government two days after the incident and had talks to deal with the situation.

ref: http://www.todayszaman.com

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