Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday ruled out any apology from his country for a deadly commando raid on a Turkish Gaza-bound aid ship in May, that killed nine Turks.
"Israel cannot apologise because its soldiers had to defend themselves to avoid being lynched by a crowd," Netanyahu said in an interview broadcast on public television.
On May 31 Israeli commandos raided a Turkish ship leading an activist aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip, killing nine Turkish militants, in an operation that triggered international condemnation and strained ties with Ankara.
Turkey recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and cancelled three planned joint military exercises after the raid. It also twice denied permission to Israeli military
aircraft to use its air space.
PTI
