Lieberman vows no Israel apology to Turkey on raid

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman vowed on Sunday 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, Mr 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 Benjamin Netanyahu's office, in a statement, later distanced itself from the foreign minister. Mr Lieberman was 'only expressing a personal opinion, like other ministers do,' it said. 'Mr Netanyahu is the only one who can express the position of Israel' on the dispute with Turkey.

Relations between once close allies Turkey and Israel have frayed almost to breaking point in the past year over Israel's May 31 raid on a flotilla of aid ships seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The naval operation killed nine Turkish activists and drew international condemnation, prompting a deep crisis in relations with Ankara.

Earlier this month, the two sides held fence-mending talks in Geneva and drew up a draft deal to end the crisis, which has yet to be approved by Israel. The draft calls for Israel to apologize for the 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, AFP reports.