Gumrukcu reiterates Turkey's stipulations on Israel

Ankara is waiting for the establishment of a new government in Israel to put an end to the conflict between Turkey and Israel deriving from Israel's 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, which left nine Turkish citizens dead. Speaking at a press conference, spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry Levent Gumrukcu said, "We will deal with it, once the new government is established. Now the ball is in Israel's court." Gumrukcu also said that UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres would again visit Turkey on March 14-15. Touching upon the news stories indicating that Israel might apologize due to "operational mistakes," Gumrukcu said that the terms required by Turkey on Israel to offer an apology for the raid, compensation and to lift the blockade on Gaza have been valid and that Ankara has been waiting for steps to be taken by the new government. Gumrukcu also reiterated that Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu earlier this week and Mashaal informed Erdogan on the reconciliation process between his movement and Fatah. Gumrukcu added that Turkey supported the process and that contacts with all of the Palestinian groups were underway.