30 September 2016•Update: 01 October 2016
ANKARA
Israel on Friday paid Turkey $20 million in compensation over the 2010 Mavi Marmara tragedy involving a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
On Aug. 20, Turkish parliament approved a deal, involving Tel Aviv paying $20 million to the families of the victims as part of a normalization agreement between Turkey and Israel after a six-year hiatus in ties.
Diplomatic ties between Turkey and Israel were disrupted in May 2010 when Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists on the Mavi Marmara, which was headed for Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.
In the aftermath of the attack, Turkey demanded an official apology from Israel, compensation for the families of those killed, and the lifting of Israel’s Gaza blockade.
In 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced regret over the incident to Turkey’s then-prime minister (now president), Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In addition to the compensation, Israel has agreed to Turkey’s humanitarian presence in the occupied Gaza Strip.
