Turkey says bringing the Israeli regime to the ‘line of international law’ was an important step following Tel Aviv’s apology to Ankara that came nearly three years after a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla in 2010.

The Israeli military attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, 2010, killing nine Turkish nationals aboard the Turkish-flagged MV Mavi Marmara and injuring about 50 other activists that were part of the team on the six-ship convoy.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview with Turkish TRT television on Friday, “I always mentioned to my counterparts bringing Israel to the line of international law is an important step for Israel to be on a correct spot for the peace and finally manage to come to that spot.”

    “We made it clear that Turkey will not change its course of action until an apology is issued,” Davutoglu stated. “What appears to you as a surprise is an effort that has been pursued and forged gradually for three years.”

The comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the same day that he had apologized on behalf of the Tel Aviv regime for its fatal raid during a phone call with Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Netanyahu also accepted Ankara’s demand that the Israeli regime compensate the families of the nine Turkish victims.

The Israeli apology was brokered by US President Barack Obama during his recent visit to Israel. Netanyahu had previously only expressed regret for the killings and refused to publicly apologize.

Ankara and Tel Aviv recalled their envoys in 2011 over the flotilla issue, but on Friday Erdogan and Netanyahu agreed to send back ambassadors.