Israel makes moves to improve relations with Turkey

By Kevin Flower, CNN

June 22, 2011 — Updated 1402 GMT (2202 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has written Turkey’s PM in an attempt to improve relations

* The letter is part of a broader effort to get relations back on track, a senior Israeli official says

* Relations were strained after a Gaza-bound Turkish ship was intercepted and nine Turkish citizens died

Jerusalem (CNN) — In an effort to mend a relationship gone sour, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has written a letter to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The letter congratulated the Turkish prime minister on his recent election victory and is part of a broader effort to get relations back on track, according to a senior Israeli government official who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The moves come a year after a Gaza-bound flotilla of ships was intercepted by Israeli commandos in a raid that left nine Turkish citizens dead and ruptured what was already a strained relationship between the two historically close countries.

The Israeli official said the two countries are engaging in “discreet negotiations” but would not offer more details saying that “no one knows where this going to go.”

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz first reported Tuesday that high-ranking officials from the two countries were engaged in secret talks that were being supported by the American government.

The letter comes amid signs that relations between the two countries could be thawing.

Last week the Turkish organization that helped sponsor last years flotilla announced it would not participate in a planned second flotilla. Plus following Turkish election results, Netanyahu offered conciliatory words to Ankara, telling reporters that Israel regretted the deterioration in relations with Turkey and expressed the hope for more amiable relationship going forward.

Following the flotilla incident Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel and has said it won’t resume normal diplomatic ties with the Jewish state without an apology and compensation for the victims’ families

An independent Israeli commission charged with investigating the deadly flotilla raid concluded in January that the outcome of the raid was “regrettable” but legal under international law.

The raid strained ties between Israel and Turkey, its strongest ally among Muslim nations, and triggered a wave of international condemnation of Israel and its policies toward Gaza. The controversy led Israel to loosen its embargo on the territory, allowing more civilian goods and construction materials to flow in while still banning military equipment and weapons.

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