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Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign minister, has vowed that Israel would not apologize to Turkey for a commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship that killed nine Turkish activists.
Speaking in Jerusalem at a meeting of Israel's ambassadors on Sunday, Lieberman said Ankara's demand for an apology before normalizing relations between the former allies was "a cheek".
"The ones who have to apologize are the government of Turkey for supporting terror," he said. "There will be no apology" from Israel.
But Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office, in a statement, distanced itself from Lieberman.
Lieberman was "only expressing a personal opinion, like other ministers do," it said. "Netanyahu is the only one who can express the position of Israel" on the dispute with Turkey.
Renewed alliance
High-ranking Israeli and Turkish officials recently held two days of talks in the Swiss capital Geneva aimed at mending ties after Turkey sent firefighters to help Israel fight a wildfire earlier this month.
The draft agreement calls for Israel to apologize for May's Mavi Marmara raid, compensate the victims' families and for both sides to resume full ties, including the return of Turkey's ambassador to Tel Aviv, who was recalled over the incident.
But there is significant Israeli opposition to issuing an apology for the incident, particularly because it could be seen as an admission of liability and open Israel or its troops to prosecution in international courts.
Relations between Israel and Turkey had already been strained before the raid, over Israel's devastating war on Gaza launched in late December 2008.
Israel was also unhappy with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's frequent outbursts against the Jewish state and his defense of the Palestinian people.
Turkey's foreign minister said on Saturday that his country wanted improved ties with Israel, but that this would be contingent on Israel apologizing and offering compensation for its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
PHOTO CAPTION
Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign minister
Al-Jazeera
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