Tel Aviv is currently testing the grounds for revisiting the table with
Ankara.

PM Erdoğan calls Israel ‘unethical’ and missing herons are returned
Breaking News Published : 19.05.2012 12:40 Updated : 19.05.2012 12:43
Yahya Bostan Sabah Daily [Turkey], Prime Ministry Correspondent
http://english.sabah.com.tr/National/2012/05/19/pm-erdogan-calls-israel-unethical-and-missing-herons-are-returned

With ties broken following the Mavi Marmara raid, and fuel added to the
flame with the dogfight in Cypriot air space, it appears that now Israel is
seeking out ways to put relations with Turkey back on the mend. Israel his
silently yet surely returned four of the five herons sent to Israel for
maintenance repairs a year ago. The first heron was returned in April and
just a few days ago three other herons were sent back to Ankara. The final
heron undergoing maintenance work in Israel will supposedly be returned in
the next few days.

MAINTENANCE STATED AS REASON FOR HOLDING ONTO HERONS

In April, 2011 Ankara sent the engines of five herons obtained through an
agreement with Israel, to Tel Aviv for maintenance. However, when relations
between the two nations became increasingly tense, Israel perpetuated the
excuse of the engines' undergoing maintenance to refrain from returning
them. As the disruption in relations continued to gain speed, in September,
2011 Prime Minister ErdoÄŸan made a statement regarding the situation that's
shed light on what was truly happening behind the scenes.

ErdoÄŸan "Are they even ethical? There can be problems amongst people and
resentment; they can refrain from meeting with each other. All of this is
possible, but when it comes to international agreements, there is an
international trade ethic."

Israel sends a message of reconciliation

Israel's second step towards mending relations with Turkey took place in the
diplomatic realm. According to information obtained by high level sources,
Tel Aviv is currently testing the grounds for revisiting the table with
Ankara.

Israel is not necessarily acting upfront, but is making a number of
correlated attempts to reestablish relations with Turkey, by making contact
with certain European nations that remain close to both Turkey and Israel.
The relayed messages have been delivered through said nations' foreign
affairs ministers.

THERE IS NO CHANGE IN TURKEY'S POSITION

Their latest such attempt was done through another intermediary country,
whose name was not revealed. Ankara referred to the country as one of a
number of 'certain European nations' and responded to its officials by
stating, "There is no change in Turkey's stance. Israel needs to apologize
for the Mavi Marmara attack, pay compensation to the victims' families and
lift the embargo implemented against Gaza. We will be open to dialogue, once
these conditions have been met."Sources state that Tel Aviv is feeling
increasingly isolated in the region due to Turkey's recent veto of Israeli
participation in a NATO meeting coupled by the ongoing tension in the region
and hence is hoping to reestablish ties with Turkey.

AGREEMENT BROKEN BY ISRAEL

Ankara's veto of Israeli participation in the May 20th NATO summit in
Chicago is considered to be one of the most critical developments thus far.
Following the raid by Israeli forces on the Mavi Marmara aid flotilla,
officials from both nations had reached an agreement that in order to
rectify broken ties between Turkey and Israel, Israel would apologize and
pay compensation to the families of the nine killed in the raid. However, it
was later understood that Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman
amongst others, prevented the government from going ahead with the deal.