Taking an important step toward the normalization of relations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan on Friday to apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish citizens in a 2010 naval raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
The phone call, brokered by visiting U.S. President Barack Obama, is expected to lead to a significant improvement in relations between the two countries.
The thawing of relations between Israel and Turkey comes at an important time in light of the ongoing civil war in neighboring Syria.
Senior Obama administration officials said Netanyahu acknowledged operational mistakes in the Mavi Mara flotilla incident and apologized for any deaths that those mistakes may have caused.
Netanyahu also said hoped that the two countries would be able to normalize their relationship and work together effectively in the future.
Erdogan accepted Netanyahu's apology and said he also wants to have a better relationship with Israel, the officials noted.
In a statement released shortly before he left Israel, Obama said he welcomed the call between Netanyahu and Erdogan, noting that the U.S. attaches great importance to restoring positive relations between Israel and Turkey in order to advance regional peace and security
"I am hopeful that today's exchange between the two leaders will enable them to engage in deeper cooperation on this and a range of other challenges and opportunities," Obama said.
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