BRUSSELS - A top Turkish official on Wednesday proposed a NATO naval mission to lift the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
"NATO should send a fleet to put an end to the embargo," Turkey's chief negotiator with the European Union, Egemen Bagis told reporters during a trip to Brussels.
"It's just an idea," he added, stressing that he was talking in a personal capacity.
Bagis said that UN or EU forces could also verify goods destined for Gaza to allay Israel's fears of shipments of arms and other materials which could be used against the Jewish state.
However the Turkish official said that imposing sanctions against Israel was not a solution.
Questioned on the differences between Turkey and the EU to the Israel raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza last week, which left nine people dead, Turks, Bagis said the first comments by EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton had been "a joke."
Ashton originally called for Israel to investigate the raid, before the EU moved to seek an impartial enquiry. "You don't ask an attacker to open an enquiry about his own attack," Bagis said.
Ankara welcomed the later response in which Ashton was more critical.
The raid on the flotilla have badly hit the already fraught ties between Israel and Turkey, which were formerly very strong.
Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel and scrapped joint military drills, saying economic and defence ties with Israel would be reduced to a "minimum level."
Future relations lie in Israel's hands, Bagis asserted, insisting that his country "naturally deserves" an apology.