Merkel: Apology important first step for normalisation

German Chancellor Angela Merkel thought Israeli apology to Turkey was an important first step for the normalization of Turkish-Israeli relations, German government Spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on Wednesday. Speaking to the press, Seibert underlined that Merkel spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone and told Netanyahu that the normalization of Turkish-Israeli relations would be a crucial step for the whole region. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on March 22 apologized to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the fatal Israeli raid on the 'Mavi Marmara' aid ship in May 2010 which left nine Turks dead. Netanyahu also promised to pay reparations to the families of the Turkish victims.