The Turkish parliament has ratified a deal made earlier this year between Turkey and Israel ending their six-year long freeze in relations.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Turkish parliament has ratified a deal made earlier this year between Turkey and Israel ending their six-year long freeze in relations.
Officially referred to as the Mavi Marmara Compensation Bill, it normalises ties that were broken when 10 Turks died after Israeli security forces stormed a ship carrying pro-Palestinian activists in 2010.
“I don’t think there will be a problem during the deal’s implementation. Israel is dependent on Turkey’s security. Israel can’t afford to be against Turkey while being in a region surrounded by Arab and Islamic countries,” said the AK party’s Burhan Kuzu.
Families of the dead men will receive 20 million dollars, but the deal is also economic, notably the potential restarting of joint energy projects in the Mediterranean.
Israel has always insisted the ship, carrying aid for Gaza, was repeatedly warned not to approach Israeli waters, and that its soldiers were attacked upon boarding.