"Turkey Threatens to Ban Israeli Commercial Flights over Gaza Flotilla Row"

Al-Manar

02/07/2010 Turkey has threatened to expand its de facto ban on Israeli military flights to commercial flights as well, Turkish newspaper Zaman reported Friday.

According to the report, the threat was made during a covert meeting between Israeli Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu – the first high-level contact since the deadly incident.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Toronto earlier this week that Turkey imposed the ban on military flights after the May 31 raid on a Turkish ship that was part of a six-vessel international aid flotilla, according to the state-run Anatolia news agency.

Meanwhile, Turkish newspaper Hürriyet reported Friday morning that Israel has signaled it may compensate and apologize to families of some of the casualties of its raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.

“There will be a second meeting if the Israeli side takes a step toward (meeting) our demands,” a Turkish diplomatic source told the newspaper on Thursday. “We do not categorically dismiss meeting with Israeli officials at this level.”

According to the report, diplomatic sources said the meeting could provide a way out of the current situation, as ties between the two countries have been badly damaged by the May 31 raid, in which eight Turks and one American of Turkish descent were killed and dozens of people were injured, including soldiers attacked onboard the Mavi Marmara ship.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters on Thursday that "Davutoglu reminded Ben-Eliezer of Turkey’s demands from Israel, including an apology, payment of compensation to families of those killed and wounded, an international inquiry and an end to the blockade of Gaza."

Diplomatic sources said no move to meet these demands would be made until after the Israeli commission tasked with investigating the incident issued its report to the government.

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the two ministers discussed the current state of Turkish-Israeli relations and the future of the relationship, and Ben-Eliezer assured Davutoglu that Turkey’s demands would be conveyed to the Israeli government.

"The point our ties have reached is not one we are happy with. The meeting provided an opportunity to convey in person the steps we expect (to see taken) so that relations can be repaired. The reason why they requested this meeting might be to determine our expectations,” the spokesman said.

According to the report, diplomatic sources said Israel preferred to keep the Brussels meeting covert because of internal sensitivities. The talks were reportedly also kept secret from Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, Egemen Bağış, and Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker, who were both in Brussels with Davutoglu.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday expressed his anger for being left out of the loop regarding the meeting, while "sources in the Prime Minister's Office, including Defense Minister (Ehud) Barak, were involved." He slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wondering, "Is this is the political culture and proper management we want?"

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