Obama gets Israel to apologize to Turkey, relations are normal again

[Blue3]

Israel apologized to Turkey on Friday for killing nine Turkish citizens in a 2010 naval raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla and the two feuding U.S. allies agreed to normalize relations in a surprise breakthrough announced by U.S. President Barack Obama.

The rapprochement could help regional coordination to contain spillover from the Syrian civil war and ease Israel's diplomatic isolation in the Middle East as it faces challenges posed by Iran's nuclear program.

In a statement released by the White House only minutes before Obama ended a visit to Israel, the president said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan had spoken by telephone.

"The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security," Obama said.

The first conversation between the two leaders since 2011, when Netanyahu phoned to offer help after an earthquake struck Turkey, gave Obama a diplomatic triumph in a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories in which he offered no new plan to revive peace talks frozen for nearly three years.

The 30-minute call was made in a runway trailer at Tel Aviv airport, where Obama and Netanyahu huddled before the president boarded Air Force One for a flight to Jordan, U.S. officials said.

Israel bowed to a long-standing demand by Ankara, once a close strategic partner, to apologize formally for the deaths aboard the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara, which was boarded by Israeli marines who intercepted a flotilla challenging Israel's naval blockade of the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip.

"In light of Israel's investigation into the incident which pointed to a number of operational mistakes, the prime minister expressed Israel's apology to the Turkish people for any mistakes that might have led to the loss of life or injury," Netanyahu's office said in a statement in English.

It added that he had agreed to conclude an agreement on compensation and said Netanyahu and Erdogan agreed to normalize ties between the two countries, including returning their ambassadors to their posts.

Erdogan's office said he had accepted the apology and had told Netanyahu that he valued centuries of "strong friendship and cooperation between the Turkish and Jewish nations".

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that, with the apology, all of Turkey's fundamental demands had been met.

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-brokers-israel-turkey-rapprochement-160424316.html

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Excellent!

[Old Man Svensson]

Israel apologized? Israel apologized? Because of Obama?

Have I woken up in an alternate universe where suddenly the Israelis are completely reasonable and our president has a spine?

[Vosem]

I think Netanyahu was simply waiting to do it after the election so as not to piss off his voters.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Israel apologized? Israel apologized? Because of Obama?

Have I woken up in an alternate universe where suddenly the Israelis are completely reasonable and our president has a spine?

Wow, indeed.

[Silent Hunter]

Israel really needs access to Turkish airspace if it wants to attack Iran, which might have been a factor.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

This seems to me like one part of a very complex plan that was worked out behind closed doors.

[danny]

It's the classic caving under pressure Bibi.

[Hnv1]

It's the classic caving under pressure Bibi.

Or understanding the regional geo-strategic considerations that we would benefit greatly from a standing relationship with Turkey.
I used to serve in the IDF Strategic Division and then at the MoD's one as a civilian. Sometimes the public does not understand the benefits in such moves but security wise this was a needed move the MoD wanted to happen 2 years ago (the Turkish counterparts wanted it as welll).
The regional situation as it is demands working relations with Jordan and Turkey in order to sustain the situation in Syria and progress the talks with the Palestinians.

[Tender Branson]

Israel apologized? Israel apologized? Because of Obama?

Yeah, I wonder why Obama didn't apologize himself ... I thought he likes to do this.