Israeli minister rejects Erdogan's idea

An Israeli minister on Thursday has rejected Turkish Prime Minister's idea that Israel must lift the siege on Gaza in return for normalization fo ties.

The minister also accused Erdogan of blocking a compensation deal for those killed in a 2010 raid on an aid flotilla by demanding Israel to end the Gaza blockade.

Israel and Turkey have been locked in 11 months of talks over compensation for nine Turkish nationals killed in a deadly Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla in May 2010.

Earlier this week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip erdogan said there would be no agreement without a written commitment by Israel to lift its restrictions on the Gaza Strip which has been besieged by Israel since 2005.

"I don't understand erdogan's behaviour," Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told public radio.