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Israel's prime minister has said that his country will not apologize to Turkey for a May commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship that killed nine Turkish activists.
Binyamin Netanyahu said on Monday that talks to mend ties have so far fallen short.
"They [Turkey] want an apology and we of course do not want to apologize," he said in an interview on Israel's Channel 10 television.
"We are prepared to express regret, as we have, on the loss of life".
"We want one thing: Foremost to protect our soldiers and our commanders ... that there will be Turkish recognition that Israel did not act with malice aforethought and that Israel's soldiers acted in self defense," Netanyahu said.
Breaking the silence
Netanyahu broke his silence after his ultra-nationalist coalition partner, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, poured scorn on Turkey's demand that Israel apologize for the killing of its nine citizens aboard the ship.
"I'm sorry to say a redeeming compromise formula still has not been found. We are continuing to try but public talk on this matter does not help," Netanyahu said.
Israel's relations with Turkey plummeted after Israeli soldiers stormed the Mavi Marmara ship on May 31, part of a convoy attempting to bring supplies to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Turkey has demanded that Israel formally apologize for the deaths of the activists. Envoys of the two countries met in Geneva earlier this month for rapprochement talks.
PHOTO CAPTION
People wave Turkish and Palestinian flags next to the Mavi Marmara ship as it arrives at the Sarayburnu port.
Al-Jazeera
