Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 64: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman's proposals to punish Turkey, which include possible support for Kurdish rebels and co-operation with the Armenian lobby in the US, both made in direct response to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's announcement that Turkish warships will escort future flotillas to Gaza. [27325/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Turkey and Israel have clear, strongly held and conflicting views on the circumstances surrounding the tragic deaths of nine Turkish citizens on the May 2010 Gaza flotilla, and attempts to resolve this issue between them have so far been unsuccessful. The publication earlier this month of the UN Palmer Report on the incident, which it was hoped might begin a move towards reconciliation, has unfortunately led instead to further recriminations.

Regardless of the position any observer might take on the flotillas or the 2010 events, this breakdown in relations between Israel and Turkey is an unwelcome development in the already tense and troubled region of the Eastern Mediterranean. It is very much to be hoped that they will actively seek to find common ground and work to restore good relations.

I would not comment on the reported words of either side in this case. It is not clear what was the basis for the reports of the ideas supposedly considered by Foreign Minister Liberman, and referred to in the Question. Both the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office stated in response to these reports that the policy of Israel was to seek to avoid heightening difficulties with Turkey.