Erdogan: Apology not enough

On Wednesday, I reported that Israel had turned down a request to apologize to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara incident.

Prime Minister Erdogan has confirmed again that an apology - even a full apology and not a limited one like the US and Israel have been discussing - is not enough (Hat Tip: Joshua I). Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdoğan said Wednesday it was impossible for Turkish-Israeli

Obama: 'Apologize to Turkey or else'

On Wednesday, I reported that the Netanyahu government had decided that it would not apologize to Turkey over the Mavi Marmara incident. There were two different versions of the story. One, linked in the post above, claimed that Secretary of State Clinton had demanded that Israel apologize to Turkey, and that Israel had refused. The second version portrayed Clinton as having requested or

Government denies Clinton asked Israel to apologize to Turkey

In an earlier post, I reported that the Netanyahu government had refused a request from Secretary of State Clinton to apologize to Turkey over the Mavi Marmara incident. Israel Radio reports in its 11:00 pm news update that the report that Clinton asked Israel to apologize is 'not accurate.'

JPost is reporting that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said that he regrets that the decision

Netanyahu tells Clinton Israel won't apologize to Turkey

Prime Minister Netanyahu has told US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Israel will not apologize to Turkey for last year's Mavi Marmara incident. That's final - for now. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu refused requests by US Secretary of State Hilliary Clinton on Tuesday to apologize to Turkey for the deaths of nine IHH activists aboard the Mavi Marmara in May 2010, Army Radio reported

Turks continue pressure on Israel for 'apology'

Lest you think it's over... the Turks are continuing to press for an Israeli 'apology' for the Mavi Marmara incident (Hat Tip: Joshua I). A senior Foreign Ministry official has expressed confidence that Israel will eventually give in to demands by Turkey and offer an apology and pay compensation to victims in order to pave the way for a normalization of bilateral relations.

“The Israeli

Israel to Turkey: Double or nothing?

A report indicates that Israel has offered to pay $100,000 per dead terrorist in 'compensation' to Turkey - rather than the $50,000 demanded - in exchange for Turkey accepting a Israel's 'regrets' for the incident (Hat Tip: Joshua I). ‘‘Ankara demands apologies and compensation of $50 thousand to each of victims’ families. Israel, however, has another solution – Tel-Aviv will express its

No apology to Turkey

The Israeli government has decided to look out for Israel, and as a result has left Barack Hussein Obama holding the bag. Obama deserves it.

The Obama administration convinced Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to agree not to bring down the government in the event that Israel apologized to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara incident. But Netanyahu decided not to apologize anyway (the Israeli media is

Yaalon gets Turkey

At least someone in this government gets Turkey: Moshe "Boogie" Yaalon (Hat Tip: Joshua I). Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon voiced disapproval Monday over Turkey's demand that Israel issue an apology for its role in the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident in which nine activists were killed as the IDF intercepted the ship. Speaking to Israel Radio, the deputy prime minister called the request "rude."

Why not a limited apology?

Efraim Cohen explains why even a limited apology to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara incident constitutes a grave danger to Israel (Hat Tip: Joshua I). The problem with the proposed deal between Israel and Turkey is that an Israeli apology could very well exacerbate the rift between the two countries, at the same time causing a worldwide public relations nightmare for Israel.While the apology would

Will Barak bow to Erdogan too?

Ehud Barak continues to advocate apologizing to Turkey. Isarel's defense minister outlined the formulation, which would have Israel apologize to Turkey for "mistakes made, if there were any" in exchange for Turkey barring legal action against the Israeli troops involved, to reporters on July 28. Barak had spent the day in meetings with National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Secretary of State

AKP should account for dead Turks before demanding an apology from Israel

Turkish writer Emin Colasan asks Turks to imagine what would happen if an Israeli ship tried to aid Kurdistan (something that has been suggested a number of times over the last year) and then comes up with this (Hat Tip: Simone B): We can't know whether Israel will apologize or not. However nine were killed on that ship, and they were declared "martyrs" by the Islamists.Martyrs or not, who is

Will Israel apologize to Turkey or is it wishful thinking?

Defenseless defense minister Ehud Barak was in Washington this past week, where he was subjected to a full-court press by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and new Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to apologize to Turkey for allowing the IDF to defend itself during the Mavi Marmara incident last year. Barak, who was inclined to apologize in the first place, told a news conference in Washington

Hurriyet: Palmer report delayed until August 20 to prepare Israeli public for apology

The United Nations has delayed the release of the Palmer Commission report on the Mavi Marmara incident to August 20, and Turkey's Daily Hurriyet is reporting that the delay was requested by Israel to give it time to prepare its public opinion for an apology to Turkey. The third postponement of the release of a U.N. panel’s report on last year’s Mavi Marmara incident came upon a request from

Palmer report delayed, Obama takes Turkey's side

The destruction of the Jewish village of Migron (see previous post below) wasn't the only thing delayed on Sunday. The United Nations decided to delay the Palmer report on the Mavi Marmara incident for another month in the hope that Israel and Turkey can reach some sort of modus vivendi. According to the officials, the report – which was to be submitted to UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon on

Turkey: We won't forget and we won't forgive

In this country, when you want to show everyone that you're really angry at something someone has done to you, you say 'lo niscach v'lo nislach' (we won't forget and we won't forgive). Turkey has apparently developed a similar tradition. And they're applying it to last year's Mavi Marmara incident and telling us about it over and over again (Hat Tip: Joshua I). Turkey will never forget the nine

Erdogan and Davutoglu expressed 'deep regret' that Turkey recognized Israel in 1948 (and more)

During the recent election campaign, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed 'deep regret' that Turkey recognized the State of Israel in 1948 (Hat Tip: Joshua I). Columnist Burak Bakdil writes that while that rhetoric was over the top, and did not take Turkey's interests into account, he believes it unlikely that either Erdogan or Davutoglu

Attorney General says apologize to Turkey or IDF soldiers will be sued

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein is reported to have told Prime Minister Netanyahu that if Israel does not apologize to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara incident, IDF troops who participated in the incident are likely to face lawsuits. The Justice Department has refused to confirm the report. The sources added that Weinstein believes that if Turkey promises not to file lawsuits against IDF soldiers

Erdogan wants threatens to visit Gaza

In an earlier post, I reported that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish officials wanted to visit Gaza when conditions were right. Now Erdogan is using the prospect of such a visit as a crass threat to try to induce Israel to apologize for the IDF defending itself. The Turkish prime minister has expressed his desire to visit Hamas-controlled Gaza after a trip to Egypt,

Boogie talks Turkey

Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe (Boogie) Yaalon told Israel Radio on Wednesday morning that he has had it with talking to Turkey. According to Yaalon, the Turks want an apology and not reconciliation. Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon said on Wednesday that Turkey's insistence on an Israeli apology for last year's Gaza flotilla raid does not allow reconciliation talk to progress,