Israeli officials dismiss apology to Turkey
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Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that his country has no intention to apologize to Turkey.
"There has been a dramatic change in the Turkish policy resulting from domestic changes," Lieberman said when meeting with visiting Latvian officials. He added "we believe that this position is mistaken."
Turkey has been demanding for an apology and compensation from Israel after Israeli navy commandos raided a Gaza-bound international aid flotilla, killing eight Turkish nationals.
The Turkish-Israeli ties, once among the strongest between the Jewish state and a Muslim-majority country, hit a freezing point after the raid. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu Sunday threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if the latter does not apologize over the incident.
As an attempt to find a way out of the diplomatic row, Israeli Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor Benjamin Ben-Eliezer met with Turkish foreign minister last week in Belgium to discuss the strained relations.
Ehud Barak, Israel's Defense Minister, on Monday described the meeting as a "mistake," during his speech at a parliamentary committee.
"It was clear to me that the meeting was aimed at clarifying Turkey's stand and presenting claims against us, like an international inquiry and compensation. So I thought it would be wrong to hold such a meeting," Barak said.
