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Source: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=230250
Turkish Demand for Israeli Apology over Flotilla Is Not Reasonable
(Jerusalem Post) Efraim Inbar - Even a UN investigation (the Palmer Committee) dealing with last year's flotilla incident apparently concluded that Israel's actions were perfectly legal. Moreover, the Turks on the ship were provocateurs, members of a terrorist organization, and violently resisted a legal attempt to take over the ship. As a matter of fact, Jerusalem deserves an apology and compensation. While good relations with Turkey are indeed quite valuable, the deterioration in relations is not due to Israeli actions but to a major reorientation in Turkish foreign policy under the ruling Islamist AKP party. AKP-led Turkey is purposefully distancing itself from the West, wants to improve relations with its Muslim neighbors, and entertains ambitions to lead the Muslim world. Within this framework, good relations with Israel are a burden. An unjustified Israeli apology will not repair relations, as Turkey is no longer interested in a strategic partnership. The writer is professor of political studies at Bar-Ilan University and director of its Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.