After Turkey sent two fire-fighting planes last week to help Israel fight its worst-ever forest fire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and expressed his appreciation, which was regarded as a step for the two countries to mend fences. Erdogan still demands an apology from Israel for the flotilla incident in which nine Turks were killed trying to break Israel's sea blockade of the Gaza Strip. However, Netanyahu did not concede whether he would apologize since legal stipulations are at stake. Turkey is also demanding compensation payments for those injured in the incident, as well as to the families of the dead.
