‘Peace between Israel, Turkey a diplomatic victory for Obama’

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US President Barack Obama’s efforts to broker peace between Israel and Turkey - the two key allies of America in the region - have been hailed by the media here as a major diplomatic victory.

Due to his personal diplomatic efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan o apologies for the errors in a 2010 raid on a ship bound for Gaza that had soured the relationship between America’s two key allies in the region.

Obama has been hailed by the American media for his diplomatic victory. “The apology, in a diplomatic victory for President Barack Obama, paves the way for the restoration of normal relations between the two regional powers,” The Wall Street Journal said.

Welcoming the restoration of normal relations between Israel and Turkey, the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, appreciated the role of “US President Obama” in reaching this positive outcome.

“Assisting Israel and Turkey in restoring their good relations had been a core objective of the secretary-general’s efforts in the aftermath of the May 2010 flotilla incident. Today’s announcement is an important and hopeful signal for the stability of the region,” Ban said.

Obama said he had been working on this for quite some time now. “For the last two years I’ve spoken to both Prime Minister Netanyahu and Prime Minister Erdogan about why this rupture has to be mended, that they don't have to agree on everything in order for them to come together around a whole range of common interests and common concerns,” he said.

According to officials Obama did get on the line during which he expressed his greetings to Erdogan and suggested they, themselves, talk more in detail in the near future.

“Israel’s apology for errors in a 2010 raid on a ship bound for Gaza thawed relations with Turkey and gave President Obama a solid achievement as he closed out his West Asia visit,” The New York Times said.

“Prodded by President Obama, Israel and Turkey agreed Friday to end a three-year rift caused by a deadly Israeli commando raid on a Turkish ship bound for Gaza, a rapprochement urgently sought by the United States to help contain spillover from the worsening fighting in Syria,” The Washington Post said.