Turkish-Israel rift ends with Israeli apology for Marmara incident

President Barack Obama announced Friday at the end of his three-day visit to Israel that he had managed to bring the Israeli and Turkish prime ministers around to talk on the phone for the first time in three years of angry disconnect.  Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had demanded an Israeli apology for the incident in 2010 when Israeli troops boarded the Mavi Marmara on its way to break the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza. Nine Turkish were killing when they fought back against the Israeli order to turn the ship around. Netanyahu called Ankara with an apology at Obama’s insistence and the White House was able to claim a diplomatic breakthrough.