Using logic that has left most Western and some Arab diplomats in Ankara with mouths agape, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of being behind the coup in Egypt, earning himself flack from Washington and more ridicule from the international media. Erdogan’s outburst is also being taken as a further sign that he is not interested in normalizing ties with the Jewish state, despite the apology from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Mavi Marmara raid on May 31, 2010.

Israeli commandoes killed nine pro-Palestinian activists after boarding the aid ship Mavi Marmara in international waters, as it was heading for Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade. The incident ensured Turkish-Israeli ties, already strained after Israel’s Operation Cast Lead against Gaza in 2008 that left scores dead, hit rock-bottom after this incident.

Netanyahu, under pressure from Washington, apologized to Turkey in March this year and agreed to pay compensation for the victims. The development was a great surprise to the Erdogan government which did not expect this apology. US efforts have so far come to nothing, reportedly due to wrangling over the compensation to be paid to the families of the Turks killed.

Most Western diplomats are convinced at this stage that Netanyahu’s apology was an inconvenience for Erdogan, since normalizing ties with Israel would represent a political liability for him and his party given the virulently anti-Israeli sentiments among his grassroots supporters.