Israel says 'never' to apologize to Turkey

Israel's foreign minister says Tel Aviv will never apologize to Turkey over its deadly attack on an Ankara-backed aid convoy, which was sailing for Gaza in May.

It was "a cheek" for Ankara to request an apology before normalizing ties with Tel Aviv, Avigdor Lieberman said in al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Sunday. "There will be no apology" from Israel, he asserted.

Lieberman accused Turkey of supporting terrorism. "The ones who have to apologize are the government of Turkey for supporting terror."

On May 31, Israeli commandos attacked the aid-laden relief mission, known as Freedom Flotilla, which had set sail for the Gaza Strip, killing nine Turkish activists and injuring around 50 others.

On Saturday, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu repeated Ankara's demands of apology and compensation over the attack, saying that "nothing can cover up" the deadly act of aggression, the Associated Press reported.

Thousands in Turkey welcomed the return of the lead vessel of the fleet, Mavi Marmara at the port of Sarayburnu in Istanbul in northwestern Turkey on Sunday.


/Press TV/