Israeli Apology May Restore Turkey's Regional Influence

Israel’s unexpected official apology to Turkey over the deadly May 30, 2010, raid by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara aid ship, during which nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were shot dead, may be the product of necessity for a country increasingly isolated in its region.

The apology, whose timing took many — this writer included — by surprise, however, also provides Turkey a chance to regain its lost political influence in a region where it once appeared set to play a key role as a major mediator.