Erdogan approves compensation treaty with Israel
By Gunay Hasanova
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved a compensation payment agreement by Israel to Turkey for the Freedom Flotilla incident, Haber 7 newspaper reported on August 31.
This agreement was previously ratified by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, according to the newspaper.
Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag earlier said that Israel will pay Turkey a compensation of $20 million for the Freedom Flotilla incident.
Relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated after the Freedom Flotilla incident in 2010, when a convoy of six ships, including one flying Turkey's flag, tried to approach the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid and activists on board. The flotilla was blocked and stormed by Israeli forces, with eight Turkish citizens being killed as a result.
Turkish President Erdogan denounced the killing as “state terrorism” and withdrew the Turkish ambassador from Israel and later expelled Israel’s ambassador to Ankara.
Turkey and Israel began talks to restore diplomatic ties in December 2015.
Agreement on the normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel was signed on June 28, 2016. Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim then said Israel accepted all the conditions of Turkey for repairing relations. He said Israel also agreed to end the blockade of the Gaza Strip with Turkey’s mediation.
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