Appeals for Turkey, Israel to Make Up in Flotilla Row

Top diplomats piled pressure on Turkey and Israel to make up Saturday after Ankara's decision to expel the Jewish state's ambassador in retaliation for last year's deadly Gaza flotilla raid.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, senior European foreign ministers and officials in Washington all urged the one-time allies to end their increasingly poisonous dispute that they worried could impact on the wider Middle East.

But there seemed little prospect of an immediate end to their dispute as Turkey's foreign minister indicated that a legal challenge to Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip would be launched in a matter of days.

"I sincerely hope that Israel and Turkey will improve their relationship," Ban told reporters in the Australian capital Canberra.

"Both countries are very important countries in the region and their improving relationship, normal relationship, will be very important in addressing all the situations in the Middle East, including the Middle East peace process."

The U.N. leader said he had been trying to help the countries improve their relationship since May 31, 2010 when Israeli troops boarded a Gaza aid flotilla, leading to the deaths of nine people including eight Turks.

Turkey pulled its ambassador out of Tel Aviv in the immediate aftermath of the raid but on Friday Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said ties would be further downgraded after a U.N. probe slammed the "excessive" force used in the raid, for which Israel has failed to apologize.

As well as announcing the Israeli ambassador Gaby Levy was being expelled, Davutoglu also said all bilateral military agreements were suspended.

Davutoglu spent Saturday with European Union counterparts who sent a clear message they wanted an end to the spat.

"Our wishes are like those of the U.N. secretary general who said that this dispute between Israel and Turkey must be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding, not via other means," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told reporters at a meeting in Sopot, Poland.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle meanwhile said Berlin was "very worried by the recent dispute", urging immediate dialogue by "all parties".

There were also similar calls to mend fences from Washington.

The United States "has longstanding friendships with both Israel and Turkey", said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, urging the two sides "to look for opportunities to improve their longstanding relationship".

Davutoglu himself refused all comment to foreign media in Poland.

But in comments carried by Turkey's Anatolia news agency, he said Ankara planned to send a request next week to the International Court of Justice, the U.N.'s highest court, to consider the legality of the naval blockade of Gaza.

"This is not just an issue between Turkey and Israel but one between Israel and the international community, involving international rights and the international community's conscience," he said.

The Turkish measures came after a U.N.-mandated report criticized Israeli troops for using "excessive" and "unreasonable" force when boarding the ferry Mavi Marmara on May 31, 2010.

It added, however, that the flotilla "acted recklessly in attempting to breach the naval blockade" and the Israeli forces "faced significant, organized and violent resistance from a group of passengers".

The report's release was delayed several times after Turkey and Israel failed to agree a final version. It was finally handed to Ban on Friday.

Turkey has repeatedly said relations will not return to normal unless Israel apologizes and compensates the victims, which it refuses to do.

"Israel once again expresses its regret for the loss of human life but does not apologize for this operation," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Friday.

The report has also upset the Palestinians as it endorsed the legality of Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, which the Jewish state says is necessary to prevent the ruling Islamist movement Hamas from obtaining weapons.

"This report is terrible and negative," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told Agence France Presse Saturday.

"It's a political report that is not based on international law, but on the contrary, it violates international law, because the Gaza Strip is still under Israeli occupation."

Turkey had been Israel's closest ally in the Muslim world, holding regular joint military exercises, but ties have plummeted since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted party came to power in 2002.