Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with the Canadian Toronto Star newspaper that the relations with Israel will remain strained until Israel fulfills four conditions - apologizes for the May 31 commando raid on the Turkish ship that was part of the flotilla taking humanitarian aid to Gaza; pays compensation to the families of the nine people killed, eight Turks and one Turkish-American; agrees to an international probe, as called for by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon into the incident (as opposed to an Israeli inquiry); and lifts its embargo on the Gaza Strip.
Reminded that Israel has already announced an easing of the embargo, Erdogan said.
"We've heard those statements but no steps have been taken. Similar statements have been made in the past."
The Israeli government has decided to weaken land blockade of Gaza, which was introduced three years ago, and according to international human rights activists, has caused a humanitarian crisis in the enclave. The decision was made after criticism of the international community because of the raid by Israeli commando on international ship with about 600 human rights activists from more than 30 countries on board, intending to break the naval blockade of Gaza.
However, when trying to apprehend one of the ships of "flotilla" in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, clashes broke out between Israeli soldiers and Turkish human rights activists that killed ten people and wounded Israelis.
According to the Turkish Prime Minister, Israel had the right to defend if the ships would enter the waters of this country.
"Of course, you can protect your borders against armed people or against a military enemy, and you can consider such action in your own national borders," Erdogan said.
Erdogan has rejected accusations that his country is anti-Israeli and changed its pro-Western course.
"I want to be very clear. In the Middle East, Turkey is the only friendly country to Israel, so much so that during the (Ehud) Olmert government, Turkey helped Israel hold indirect talks with Syria," the prime minister added.
Regarding future relations with the West, Erdogan said that Turkey "has not yet abandoned its intention to join the EU, and continues to follow the European path."