Ambassador: Turkey does not want deterioration of relations with Israel

The Turkish and Israeli people are friendly nations, and Turkey does not want the deterioration of relations with Israel, the Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic told Trend on Tuesday.

"We did not want the relations between the two countries to reach the current level. However, a crime was committed at the sea, as a result of which peoples were killed," Kilic said.

He said Turkey insists on Israel’s apologize to Turkey, but Tel Aviv has not done it yet, as one should be able to apologize.

"An apology does not humiliate a person, but, instead, ennobles him," he stressed.
Relations between Turkey and Israel -- two strategic and military partners -- worsened after Israeli naval attacks on the "Flotilla of Freedom" carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza on May 31. Nine Turks fell victim to a confrontation between Israeli soldiers and international human rights activists on the Turkish ship.

Ankara later demanded that Israel issue an official apology, order an independent international investigation, and pay compensation.

There was hope for the restoration of bilateral relations in December last year, when
Turkey sent two aircrafts to help Israel in the fight against Israel's largest forest fire in country’s history, which claimed at least 41 lives.

However, later Turkish officials said that Ankara would only restore relations with Israel after a formal apology, which Tel Aviv has refused.


/Trend/