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| Turkey has resumed contacts with Israel: FM |
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"In the Gaza process, it's true, Israel held discussions with Turkey through foreign ministry and secret service channels," Davutoglu said in a televised interview on Sunday in Ankara, AFP reported.
"If it means preventing blood from flowing, if war conditions are met, we meet everyone. There is nothing wrong with that," the Turkish foreign minister added.
He was referring to the eight-day Israeli offensive in the besieged Gaza Strip that left 166 Palestinians, including many women and children, dead and over 1200 others injured from November 14 to November 21.
Davutoglu stated that the contacts did not mean Israel and Turkey had resumed relations that were suspended after Israeli commandos attacked a Turkish-backed aid flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid to the Tel Aviv-blockaded Gaza, in international waters on May 31, 2010, killing the Turkish human rights campaigners and injuring around 50 others.
Relations between Turkey and Israel have been at their lowest ever since.
"From the Turkish point of view, these kinds of meetings and sometimes the transmission of various messages through intermediaries do not constitute dialogue with Israel," Davutoglu noted.
In September 2011, Turkey suspended all bilateral military ties and froze diplomatic relations with Israel, reacting to Tel Aviv's insistence not to apologize over the attack.
The Turkish foreign minister went on to say that if Tel Aviv wants to recommence ties with Ankara, it has to apologize over the 2010 flotilla massacre and make compensations to the victims’ families.
The Israeli military frequently bombs the Gaza Strip, saying the actions are being conducted for defensive purposes. However, disproportionate force is always used, in violation of international law, and civilians are often killed or injured.
Gaza has been blockaded since 2007, which is a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.
After 2010 assault on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Tel Aviv slightly eased the land blockade of Gaza, allowing in more consumer goods.
However, the naval siege of the Gaza Strip remains in place, exports are banned, and imports of raw materials and construction materials are restricted.
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.jpg "Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu")