Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated Friday his earlier call for Israel to apologize and pay compensation to restore relations strained after the May 31 Israeli raid on Gaza-bound aid ships, Anadolu agency reported.
"We have earlier expressed that relations would not be as the same in the past unless these demands are met. Some of our demands have been met but some not. We still demand an apology and compensation," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.
"If our demands are met, a positive era could begin in relations. But first we have to see them met," he said.
Erdogan's remarks came hours after a phone conversation between him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who called and thanked Erdogan for sending two fire fighting planes early Friday to put out the forest fire in Israel.
"When we were asked to send these planes, we did what we had to do both humanistically and Islamically," Erdogan said.
"Mr. Netanyahu phoned me to thank. He also expressed hope for a warm climate in future relations after Turkey's efforts to help fight the fire in Israel," he said.
Tensions between the two countries have risen sharply after the May 31 Israeli raid of a Gaza-bound flotilla that killed eight Turks and an American of Turkish origin.
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