Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he favours improving his country’s relations with Turkey but he sees ''no reason" for Israel to apologize for the 2010 Gaza-bound flotilla incidents.
"I am for improving the relations with Turkey, but not at the expense of Israel alone," said Lieberman. "There is no reason Israel should apologize. The soldiers were sent to a mission in the high seas and there is a mutual interest to normalize relations between the two countries."
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded that Israel apologize for its commando raid on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara last year.
Speaking days before the submission of a United Nations report on the raid in May last year, Erdogan said Turkey would never forget the nine Turks killed and condemned the continuing blockade of Gaza as "illegal and inhuman."
"Unless Israel officially apologizes for its unlawful action which is against international laws and humanitarian values, pays compensation for the families of those who lost their lives and lifts its embargo on Gaza, normalization of relations between the two countries is unthinkable," he said.
Erdogan also announced his intention to visit Gaza, a trip he said would be unrelated to the apology issue.
Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel after the incident, suspended military cooperation, and closed its airspace to Israeli military aircraft.
Israel has agreed in principle to pay compensation, but says its marines acted in self-defense after an initial boarding party was attacked.