Turkey demand Israel apologise for flotilla raid

But Israeli politicians have repeatedly rejected calls to apologise. Yigal Palmor, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said. "Of course, we regret the loss of life but it was not the Israeli side that initiated the violence."

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel has "no intention of apologizing to Turkey."

The threats are the latest in a line of diplomatic spats between the two countries. In June Turkish officials refused to allow a plane carrying Israeli soldiers to Poland to visit Auschwitz to fly through Turkish airspace.

There have been suggestions that the ban could be extended to civilian flights if relations continue to deteriorate.