Erdogan demands an apology

ANKARA, Turkey, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Israel must apologize to Turkey for killing nine Gaza-bound activists before ties between the countries can be normal, the Turkish prime minister said.

In an interview Monday with SANA, the Syrian state-run news agency, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said while there are high-level talks between the two countries in an effort to improve relations there are no changes in Turkey's demands.

He was referring to attempts by Jerusalem and Ankara to reach a joint understanding between the two countries. Relations deteriorated following Israel's raid on the Turkish ship in May as the vessel attempted to break the blockade on Gaza.

Turkey demands a formal apology and says Israel must compensate the families of the activists who were killed.

Erdogan criticized both the United States and the European Union for the positions they took while a United Nations Human Rights Council examined the raid on the Gaza flotilla.

"We expressed our utmost regret over this stance ... we expected a different stance from these countries that claim to be pioneers of basic freedom and defend human rights, seeking to appear as the only one struggling for these values and rights," Erdogan said.

He also questioned Israel's desire for peace with the Palestinians because of its refusal to halt West Bank settlement construction. Israel rejected all international pleas and continues to build settlements, defying international law and putting peace efforts at an impasse, Erdogan said.

Israel is also to blame for failing to achieve peace with Syria because of its aggression in Gaza, Erdogan said. He was referring to Operation Defense Shield in Gaza last year when Ankara refused to mediate indirect talks between Jerusalem and Damascus because of Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2010/12/20/Erdogan-demands-an-apology/UPI-49251292848824/.