JTF.ORG Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Dan193 on March 22, 2013, 01:43:17 PM
-
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?ID=307423&R=R1&noredirect=1
Netanyahu apologizes to Turkey over 2010 Gaza flotilla
HERB KEINON
03/22/2013
In a dramatic development that occurred just as US President Barack Obama was leaving the country, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke with Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan for the first time since the Israeli prime minister took power in 2009.
Netanyahu voiced regret for the loss of life in the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, apologizing for any mistakes that led to the death of nine Turkish activists. Breaking a three-year deadlock, the two agreed to normalize relations.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed an apology to the Turkish people for any error that may have led to the loss of life, and agreed to complete the agreement for compensation," the statement said.
The conversation was facilitated by US President Barack Obama, taking place during Obama's prolonged meeting with Netanyahu on Friday afternoon.
"The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security," Obama said in the statement released by the White House just before he ended a visit to Israel.
"I am hopeful that today's exchange between the two leaders will enable them to engage in deeper cooperation on this and a range of other challenges and opportunities," the president said.
Turkey, for its part, agreed to drop all charges against a group of former Israeli military commanders including former chief of staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi.
Erdogan underlined the importance of strong cooperation and friendship between the Turkish and Jewish nations in a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart on Friday, his office said.
"Erdogan told Binyamin Netanyahu that he valued centuries-long strong friendship and cooperation between the Turkish and Jewish nations," the statement from Erdogan's office said.
Netanyahu said to Erdogan that he had a good discussion with Obama about regional cooperation, and the importance of Israeli-Turkish ties. The prime minister expressed regret at the deterioration of those ties, and committed himself to resolving their differences in the aim of promoting peace and regional stability.
Netanyahu said he saw the interview that Erdogan gave the Danish newspaper recently, in which Erdogan stepped back from his statement equating Zionism with racism, and Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for the clarification.
Erdogan had told Denmark’s Politiken newspaper that he would not take back his comments from several weeks ago that Zionism was a crime against humanity. He did, however, try to explain them as a misunderstanding.“My several statements openly condemning anti-Semitism clearly display my position on this issue. In this context, I stand behind my remarks in Vienna,” said Erdogan in the interview, which was published Wednesday.
During the phone-call, Netanyahu made clear that the tragic results of the Mavi Marmara were not intended, and that Israel expresses its regret at the injuries and loss of life.
In light of the Israeli investigation of the incident, there were found to be a number of operational mistakes, and Netanyahu apologized to the Turkish people for any mistake that could lead to the loss of life, and agreed to pay compensation.
Voicing until now only "regret" over the Mavi Marmara incident, Israel has offered to pay into what it called a "humanitarian fund" through which casualties and their relatives could be compensated.
Netanyahu, relating to Erdogan's demands that Israel lift the blockade of Gaza, pointed out that Israel has already lifted some limitations including the passage of goods and people to the Palestinian territories, including Gaza, and that this will continue as long as quiet is preserved.
The two leaders agreed to continue to work together in order to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories and Syria.
A source in Netanyahu's office said opening a new chapter with Turkey "can be very, very important for the future, regarding what happens with Syria but not just what happens with Syria".
Before the diplomatic break, Israeli pilots trained in Turkish skies, exercises widely seen as improving their capability to carry out long-range missions such as possible strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.
-
Erdogan is an apologist for Hamas and has met its terrorist leaders.
This while saying nothing while Hamas has fired 12,000 missiles at Israeli civilians.
The fact that Netanyahu apologizes to Turkey shows how he always caves.
You think Netanyahu will mention how Turkey murdered 1.5 million Armenians in WW1.
The Turkish destruction of 4000 Kurdish villages and the ethnic cleansing of the Cypriots in 74.
-
How can the rest of the world respect The Jews when their cowardly "leaders" who represent them don't respect themselves?
-
If Bibi wants to apologize it should be to the soldiers given paintball guns to deal with the savages.
-
It's all well and fine to patch up the rift between Israel and Turkey... In as much as something like that can be patched up anyway... The problem is Netanyahu should never have given the shvartza president the satisfaction of doing it by his urging... For me that is an unforgivable transgression and shows that Netanyahu not only has no respect for himself but even less for the land of Israel and it's rightful inhabitants the Jewish people... The shvartza President must be winging his way home on air force one as happy as the cat that ate the canary.
-
I can bet Obama told him to do it.
Pipi is a putz for saying such a thing.
-
I can bet Obama told him to do it.
Pipi is a putz for saying such a thing.
Netanyahu should have shown him casual respect and nothing more... This was a PR trip for the shvartza President and it seems he came away looking the better for it.
-
I CANT STAND THIS INSANITY.
Send Pipi to GAZA or Turkey and draft Chaim Ben Pesach so Israel can survive.
I cant take it. I CANT TAKE THIS
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w02eSTG0G6I
-
Hopefully at least Osama bought Lewinsky new kneepads before he did the deed (again).
-
Wow... this is ridiculous... a new low for bibi.