Turkey "wants to repair ties with Israel"

Ex : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12079727

Turkey 'wants to repair ties with Israel'

Turkey's foreign minister says he wants to repair ties with Israel, damaged
when Israeli troops killed eight Turks and a Turkish-US national amid
clashes on a pro-Palestinian aid ship in May.

Ahmet Davutoglu reiterated that Israel must apologise for the deaths, which
led Turkey to withdraw its ambassador.

Israel, which insists the commandos fired in self-defence, said it was also
seeking better relations with Ankara.

Meanwhile, crowds have welcomed the ship, Mavi Marmara, back to Istanbul.

The two nations have had 15 years of good relations, including a number of
military and trade pacts, and have held talks in Geneva recently to try to
restore ties.

But the talks foundered, reportedly because Israel refused to apologise for
the 31 May raid.
'Unchanged goal'

"Turkish citizens have been killed in international waters, nothing can
cover up this truth," said Mr Davutoglu.

"We want to both preserve relations and defend our rights. If our friendship
with Israel is to continue, the way for it is to apologise and offer
compensation."

He said Turkish attempts to repair ties - including helping Israel tackle
devastating forest fires - had not been reciprocated.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said improving the
relationship was an "unchanged goal".

He said Israel's record in sending humanitarian aid to Turkey "speaks in a
much more truthful and friendly manner than this statement by the Turkish
foreign minister".

The Mavi Marmara, which has been undergoing repairs, sailed back to its home
port of Istanbul on Sunday afternoon.

Large crowds, including family members of the nine killed activists, greeted
the vessel in a ceremony organised by the activists who sent it.

The Mavi Marmara was part of an aid flotilla which was trying to break the
Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

A blockade has been imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt since the
Islamist militant group, Hamas, seized control in 2007.

In the wake of the outcry over the raid, Israel began allowing most consumer
items into Gaza, but still maintains a complete air and naval blockade,
limits the movement of people, and bans exports.

Israel says the measures are needed to stop weapons being smuggled to
militants, but the UN says they amount to collective punishment of Gaza's
1.5 million people.