Today’s Zaman: Israel extends olive branch to Turkey

PanARMENIAN.Net - Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon has extended the olive branch to Turkey by praising Turkey’s regional role and stated that the two countries have “a golden moment of opportunity for rapprochement and to put the relations back on the right track” Today’s Zaman reported.

“Of course, Turkey has the right and it has the obligation to its own people to conduct its foreign policy in its best interests. We don’t expect from Turkey not to deal with the different elements. But we don’t think it should be a zero-sum game. It should not be at the expense of the relations with Israel. I don’t think it serves Turkey and I don’t think it serves the region,” Ayalon told a group of visiting journalists from Turkey.

Another Israeli top official, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor has said that the “persistence of tension between the two countries will bring no good to either side.”

“At the end of the day, despite the tragic event, the interests of the two nations are important. This continuation of tension neither helps Turkey nor Israel. I wish that everybody will do what they have to do so that the relationship can go back to what it used to be,” Meridor said, as he referred to a deadly Israeli raid on the high seas which caused a severe crisis in ties.