Turks divided over Israeli steps on normalizing ties

ISTANBUL

Turkish-Israeli ties plunged into a crisis due to the Mavi Marmara incident. Thirty-five percent of the Turks think that Israel should apologize. AFP photo

Turks are divided over the steps that should be taken to mend Israeli-Turkish relations, with 35 percent thinking Israel should apologize and pay compensation while 29 percent believe that in addition to that Israel should lift its embargo on Gaza, according to a recent survey.

The public opinion survey conducted by the Center for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM) clarified the expectations of the Turkish public from Israel three years after the Mavi Marmara incident.

The participants were asked the question: “Three years ago Turkish-Israeli relations plunged into a crisis due to the killing of nine Turks aboard the Mavi Marmara ship. In order to mend relations, which one of the following statements is the most appropriate one?” Thirty-five percent of the public thinks that Israel should apologize for its behavior and pay compensation to the Mavi Marmara victims. However, 29 percent believe that the apology and compensation wouldn’t suffice and Israel should also lift its embargo on Gaza. 

No need to mend ties: 12 percent

Seven percent of people say the Mavi Marmara incident should be set aside, there should be no precondition for the improvement in the relationship and the relations between Israel and Turkey should be mended, while 12 percent believe that there is no need to mend ties. 

Israel issued a formal apology to Turkey and agreed to pay compensation for the Mavi Marmara killings in March after a phone conversation between the two countries’ prime ministers, Benjamin Netanyahu and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that was brokered by U.S. President Barack Obama.