On a call Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan for the 2010 raid on a flotilla headed for Gaza, during which Turkish nationals were killed. A White House pool report quoted senior administration officials on the call:
Netanyahu apologized for the Mavi Mara flotilla incident and acknowledged “operational mistakes,” said one official.
Erdogan accepted Netanyahu’s apology, according to the report. According to another official quoted in the report, the call was a “first step” toward improving relations between the two countries. The two leaders spoke for about 30 minutes, and Obama joined the call at least in part.