Israeli minister denies promising Turkey compensation for Gaza flotilla victims

Israel should never apologize for defending themselves or the country. These countries should be ashamed of themselves in supporting this kind of propaganda. This was not humanitarians but militants and terrorists. How much supply does the Gaza strip need ...100 trucks of food go into the Gaza strip which is the size of a small town....You can feed an entire country with this much supply of food. and the medical supplies on the ships going to Gaza was outdated.

they beat our soldiers....why compensation? why did we deliver the other terrorists? ISRAEL needs strong governments, not like Netenyahus!!!!!

"Turkey threatens to ban Israeli commercial flights unless family of Gaza flotilla victims receive an apology and compensation". Now if only the rest of the craven western governments could join in with Turkey and ignore the recalcitrant USA entirely. Then we just might make some progress with USA out of the equation. It seems to me that sadly Israel only ever understands one thing, the "Carrot or the Stick" approach, nothing else ever works. Forget the ultra compromised USA for positive influence, other nations should unite and back Turkey and resolve the Middle East problems now through the United Nations General Assembly. Oh! I forgot, those other nations are equally compromised as the USA.

Turkey will get the price asked from Israel, but at the appropriate time, ie when this episode is somehow forgotten. To do it now is tantamount to capitulation and so humiliating. Of course the West and the US would pressure Turkey to soften its stand and price. For instant, lefting the seige of Gaza and apologizing to poor Gazans for the Israeli daily atrocities and sufferings may be diluted if not taken off. Compensation for the Turc victims and official apology would be made in a minimum form possible. How about the other (others) participants to this abominable crime against the human rights of Gazans and their universal absolute rights to live as humanbeings, in particular Egypt and the Quartlet?. They too should be obliged to account for their genocide against Gaza. Israel and its creators and backers should stop their continued aggression and should behave rationally.

Not good. A mustached charismatic leader that screams a lot, promising voters a Great Turkey in the world. A proactive foreign policy spun as "peaceful borders", consisting of rash statements and big hammer diplomacy. Is the Turkish government aiming at military conflict in the longer perspective?

Never let them do this again!!!

The headlines should be more like, "Israeli minister lied about promising Turkey compensation for Gaza flotilla victims".

is even contemplating such a possibility of apologizing. The mere fact that its being discussed shows a consistent policy of " cutting off one's nose despite one's face" .

What a bunch of morons... First the purposely sent group of homicidal maniacs to provoke Israel and after Israel protected their soldiers from murderous(not peaceful) attackers Turkey, inaccordance with their planning, dicatitng Israel what it should do...

Israel should cut off ties immediately and further isolate Turkey. If Turkey wants to gravitate toward the Iran/Syria fold let it. Better for the rest of the world.

when he came became P.M. He wants Israel on its knees. If bibi apologizes now he'll have future opportunities to do same. bibi should give regrets but no appology to former friends -future enemies

Give me a break. Turks must apologize for sending a ship with their people attacking Israelis.

Liebrman for PM!!!!!!!

If Israeli Government do not pay attention to compensate and official apologize, I think this is gonna no good for the Israel. Because Turkey has a capability to make pressure over Israel national interests. And finally Israeli Public will be damaged by their government's false diplomatic actions.

or squandered by defense ministry adventures with contracts to islamist ruled turkey. And at whose expense do you think.

Israel should help the kurds fight the Turks......let's see how the Turks will react now

The so called covert meeting here in Zurich, was meant to ensure that politicians do not wreck the already overstrained relations between Israel and Turkey. Once again, certain details have been either leaked or more than likely fabricated by certain individuals of the media, creating a firestorm that in effect could well scuttle whatever initial steps of understanding ,reproaches, demands and counter offers that were made. No doubt, the Goverment of Turkey made an effort in asking the Flotilla leaders to await some diplomatic efforts before embarking on said tragic voyage. Both Israel and Turkey are todays headlines, that is in essence the main problem, for no politician on either side will rest until his or her voice is heard,aired and digested for domestic consumption. The good old days of true diplomacy amongst certain nations has been lost into this void, called Populism. Good day, from sweet and sunny Swiss Alps.

Go ahead, ban. If anything, the Turkish government should pay the families because they essentially sent them, they knew it won't end up well, in any scenario.

First, Turkey should apologise to the Turkish families and to the Israeli coastguards and people for allowing the SS Jihad to set sail in the first place. They could have stopped it easily. BUt Erdogan wanted the big international hoo-ha at the expense of Israel precisely SO THAT he could reduce ties to Israel and win the votes of the fundamentalists in Turkey and all the naive millions who genuinely consider it Israel's fault that she had to respond to this preconceived Shahid mission. Oh, and let's hear an apology from the unnamed "Turkish Human RIghts Organization" for libel over gunshot entry wounds. Then Israel should say that it is sorry not to have let the boat travel a few miles further before boarding it, and for not doing so during daylight when the Jihadists might have imagined themselves more likely to be filmed intitiating the aggression, and might therefore have been a bit less likely to complete thier shahid mission (they weren;t to know that their deaths, aimed at blaming Israel, would be in vain in that anyone with access to youtube knows the sequence of events and that these "humanitarians" and "militants" were actually "terrorists".

Avigdor Lieberman looks like pitbull, really.... :( We clearly understand that the main obstacle is LIEBERMAN, Alone men, poor guy

I say let them do it. (I'd love to see a poll on Israeli public opinion on this matter.) Turkey instigated this, sending violent thugs with no interest in delivering aid, and has generally done whatever it could to weaken and humiliate Israel. Consequently, Israel must demand that Turkey apologize, agree to be investigated by an impartial (hence not UN) commission for supporting terror, and weakened in the international arena by all means possible.

There's been a 80% reduction of the inflow of Israel to Trukey from 2005. No wonder they want to just close useless lines.

Whether the actual coalition is able to take that route and show it has a grip after all, I strongly doubt it; who knows.

Israel attacking the nationals of friend countries and even allies and also killing them, what does Israel expect in return? Clapping? I guess not. I am curious what the Israeli people think about their current political image created by their government? I think their silence either means they agree or they are shut down.

Stop this BS ! Turkey should pay heavy compensation for injuring IDF soldiers. As for the turkish deads they should say thank you since their aim of life of being shahids has been achieved ! They come to get it and got it. Stop this bowing policy typical to delusional left wing ad modum Barak and Labor. Stop begging for love, you will never achieve it. The only way to get it is to to let Israel invaded by arabs armies and kneeded. Commit suicide, this will be appreciated by the world. Arabs are barking and the westernized world wants to appease them. No global understanding of what is being under way. Enough is enough !!

Those Turkish "peace activists" came looking for confrontation. Israel boarded several other boats with no problem. Has Turkey apoligyzed for the massacre of 1,5 million Armenians? Do they apologize for every Kurd they kill? The day the IDF killed those 9 attacking the soldiers with iron bars and knives, the Turkish army probably killed 90 Kurds.

Has Israel lost it's mind?!!! There is absolutely nothing to apologize for!!! Wake up!!!! warm regards...Gregg Bowman

better ask for apology from turkey to have let terrorists embark in the mavi marmara as an hostile act to israel

Let's recap the events. The Turks put terrorists on a ship destined to Gaza, terroirsts who were prepared for "martyrdom" - hoping Israel will fall into a trap and create the PR fiasco. All to try and deflect from the real issue - Iran and its aim to develop nuclear bombs. And the Turks succeeded. So Israel should apologize to the Turks??? Give me a break. Israel and Israelis should be appalled and should be breaking ties with the Turks. the message to the world should be clear - pre-1948 era is over. From now on, be clear ...."don't mess with Jews".

Apologies and cringing ,an Israeli speciality

Since when does a sovreign state have to apologize for defending itself from terrorism? It is a sad state of affairs that, even when Israel is legally within its rights, our government feels it necessary to bow down to terrorism and all its propoganda. Maybe the time has come for them to grow up and understand that all the appeasement and apologies are not going to change the FACTS thatthe Islamic fundamentalists, which today includes Turkey, want only the destruction of Israel. Time to stand up be counted, Bibi.

Dont write bull... i live in Turkey, read every newspapaer every day.And i never heared a ban of commercial flights. Dont make people think in an certain direction, with fake stories.

Until Israel apologizes, compensates, and agrees to an international inquiry, Turkey should do all in its power, excluding violence, to punish Israel for its outrageous acts against Turkey. Thank goodness there is at least one country willing to stand up for itself against Israel.

I, as a Turkish citizen, expect all four demands of Turkey to be fulfilled by Israel. Apology and an international inquiry are the important ones. Apology and compensation are not enough for most of Turkish people to get the relations back on. We, as the citizens, will keep the pressure on our government to ask Israeli government to fulfill all four demands.

The end result when usurping Islam is the religion of choice in this caustic cocktail is the constant, unfair treatment of Israel by all involved.

Why?

Hard to believe this to be so. What about Turkey compensating our young men who were injured and could have died. The videos clearly show what happened.

Many Turks l meet in the streets have no hatred or bad feeling about Jewish people they all understand the long time it took for the Jews to have a home land to be safe and secure inside, for so long they say Jews were helpless people stuck in many countries, and been hurt many ways in the past, that is why Turks felt like Jews should atleast have a country like Turkey to be able to come to and feel safe in, they say our country always welcomes the Jewish people and never in history Turks were discrinitive to Jews .some incidents took place for religious reasons but never to exxtent of other nations whom were Christians did unthinkiable to Jews, they just want Israel live in peace like any other nation on Earth, but with dignity, and remeber as a great nation not as a opressor nation, we have to make friend with Turks, they are our best frineds I am a living proof, this really disturebed me greatly, I do not want my two nation to be enemy, never, Israqel was wrong in this confilict, and they should admit it.

Is Meretz running this government?

I find it extraordinarily perverse to try to get ahead in the Polls by such a destructive & contraproductive Criticism! I have written that it must be acceptable in a democracy that criticism exists at 'all times', even the difficult ones, and that a democratically elected Body must be able to withstand such criticism! I nevertheless find it very unbecoming. Sometimes an Oppositions also gets ahead in the polls if it supports constructive talks and relationshipbuilding catalyzed by the Govrnmnt. instead of blindly criticising everything it does! I must say that I am quite disappointed by this stupid small-politics-meddling of the opposition in Turkey, instead of looking for greater future benefits for our people! This Action is contraproductive at a sensitive time! Shalom!

Hamas has no problem exposing their children to danger, in fact they boast about it. The children are the ones sent out to throw stones while their cowardly adults stay home or fire from behind them. Of course the minute the children get hurt, there is a deluge of crocodile tears by the same mob who say nothing when say a Hamas member makes explosives with his children at home and they get killed when the explosives go off or when Hamas chooses to transport explosives through the street without clearing the street and their explosives, with a history of instability, explode. Not a word from the UN or the usual" humanitarians" yet they expect to be taken seriously.

I hate to see Biby"s politics. Now it is Israel that will apologize? How far will he go? Nothing seems to be planned properly. Appeasing Islamists of any kind will only make them grow -- maybe they will win the next elections because of Biby's appeasement politics.

"The Turkish foreign minister had originally asked the Turkish aid organization IHH to postpone its flotilla..." The IHH is the same kind of "aid organization" as Hamas and Hezbollah.

It is the first step in right direction.

.... and shot the worst attackers.....This may very well be true, as the commandos down there were not armed. Only the later commandos, that came down, were armed, and that was stage two of the battle....So, what does this say?

israel and turkey have been allies. hence, neither should treat the other as an enemy. turkey should dissassociate itself from the ihh terrorists. those terrorists will only ruin turkey's reputation. turkey is a mature state, and mature states do not empower terrorists. israel should pay compensation without admitting guilt. israel should appologise for the loss of turkish lives. turkey should not insist on the lifting of the blockade which simply cannot and will not happen. both countries should commit to improved manners and diplomatic niceties. this is a chance for erdogan to show that an islamist can show generosity of spirit regardless of his feelings. turkey's latest attempts to move toward iran will only weaken turkey. iran is the new sick man. syria is essentially unimportant.

Israel's bypassing FM Lieberman to apologize to Erdogan only rewards Turkey for its radical move toward Iran and against Israel. It makes Erdogan and the violent activists heroes, and depicts Israel to be weak and morally wrong. Really sad the leadership of current Israel. Are they buying the right to use Turkish airspace for attacks against Iran? I wouldn't trust Turkey.