Rebuffing Turkey’s demands for an apology, an “impartial” (remember Goldstone?) inquiry, or the end of ties between the two countries after the Fraud Flotilla incident. In the third case, it’s not as though Erdogan’s Turkey has been much of an ally, anyway.
And as is standard practice, the Turkish foreign minister later claimed he had been misquoted.
“Israel rebuffs Turkish demand for raid apology,” from CNN, July 5:
Jerusalem — “Israel will never apologize for defending its citizens,” a high-ranking Israeli government official told CNN Monday, after Turkey reportedly demanded an apology or an inquiry into an Israeli raid on an aid ship that killed nine Turkish citizens.
“Of course we regret the loss of life, but it was not the Israeli side that initiated the violence,” the official said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman later rejected Ankara’s demand more bluntly.
“We have no intention of apologizing to Turkey,” he said, according to the ministry.
Israel is “concerned” about what it sees from Turkey, he said, but added: “These sort of expressions are a part of a Turkish change of direction and a new Turkish policy, which is an internal matter we cannot get involved in.”
Hurriyet newspaper quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday as saying that Turkey would “cut off relations” with Israel unless “they either apologize or accept an international commission and its report.”
“(The) Israelis have three options: They will either apologize or acknowledge an international-impartial inquiry and its conclusion. Otherwise, our diplomatic ties will be cut off,” Davutoglu told Hurriyet early Sunday in an interview on his plane returning from Kyrgyzstan, the newspaper reported.
Jerusalem — “Israel will never apologize for defending its citizens,” a high-ranking Israeli government official told CNN Monday, after Turkey reportedly demanded an apology or an inquiry into an Israeli raid on an aid ship that killed nine Turkish citizens.
“Of course we regret the loss of life, but it was not the Israeli side that initiated the violence,” the official said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman later rejected Ankara’s demand more bluntly.
“We have no intention of apologizing to Turkey,” he said, according to the ministry.
Israel is “concerned” about what it sees from Turkey, he said, but added: “These sort of expressions are a part of a Turkish change of direction and a new Turkish policy, which is an internal matter we cannot get involved in.”
Hurriyet newspaper quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday as saying that Turkey would “cut off relations” with Israel unless “they either apologize or accept an international commission and its report.”
“(The) Israelis have three options: They will either apologize or acknowledge an international-impartial inquiry and its conclusion. Otherwise, our diplomatic ties will be cut off,” Davutoglu told Hurriyet early Sunday in an interview on his plane returning from Kyrgyzstan, the newspaper reported.
The Foreign Ministry later claimed the minister had been misquoted, saying he actually said that without an apology or inquiry, “it will not be possible for our relationship to improve.”
A Turkish Foreign Ministry official told CNN that Davutoglu’s comments were ” a strong warning to Israel,” yet did not exactly mean ending relations….