'Aid won't change Israel-Turkey relations'

Jerusalem's hopes that Israeli aid to earthquake victims would improve tensions with Ankara stonewalled, as FM Davutoğlu states 'nothing has changed'

Reuters | Published: 10.27.11, 13:54

Turkey-Israel relations will not benefit from the latter's aid shipment to the victims of the devastating earthquake which hit Turkey's southeast on Sunday, Ankara's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Thursday.

Davutoğlu told reporters that the diplomatic relations between the once-close allies – which were downgraded to second-secretary level after the release of the UN's Palmer Report on the 2010 Gaza flotilla – will be restored only after Israel complies with Turkey's conditions to that effect.

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The Turkish FM denied reports suggesting that Ankara had initially rejected Israel's offer of aid, saying that all of the offers presented to the Turkish government were considered "without prejudice."

Israeli aid arrives in Turkey (Video: Reuters) (צילום: רויטרס)

Israel's first aid shipment to Turkey's earthquake victims landed on Wednesday. It included five portable structures, 2,000 fleece coats and blankets and 100 inflatable mattresses.

"We are a nation that views humanitarian aid as a fundamental value," a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

Defense Ministry foreign press liaison Josh Hantman told Ynet that "this was the largest plane we could get on such short notice. The portable structures include electrical infrastructure and we are also sending blankets, mattresses, coats and other equipment."