17 July 2016•Update: 17 July 2016
JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced hope that a reconciliation deal between Israel and Turkey will not be affected by a failed coup attempt in Turkey.
"Israel and Turkey recently have agreed on a reconciliation process,” Netanyahu said during a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, according to a statement released by his office.
“We assume that process will continue regardless of the dramatic events that took place in Turkey over the weekend,” he said.
On Friday night, renegade elements within Turkey’s military attempted to stage a coup against the government.
Although the coup was soon put down by the country’s legitimate authorities and security apparatus, roughly 160 people were martyred in the ensuing violence.
Two weeks ago, Turkey and Israel agreed to normalize diplomatic relations following a six-year hiatus.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has said that Tel Aviv had met all of Ankara’s preconditions for normalizing ties, which were severed in 2010 after Israeli commandos stormed a Gaza-bound Turkish aid vessel.
The attack resulted in the death of nine Turkish activists and left another 30 injured, one of whom succumbed to his injuries nearly four years later.
In the aftermath of the attack, Turkey had demanded an official apology from Israel, compensation for the families of those killed, and the lifting of Israel’s Gaza blockade.
In 2013, Netanyahu voiced his regret to Turkey’s then-prime minister (now president) Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the incident.
Under the terms of the agreement, Turkey and Israel will exchange ambassadors and Tel Aviv will pay $20 million in compensation to the families of the 2010 flotilla attack victims.
Israel has also agreed to Turkey’s request to maintain a humanitarian presence in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
