27 June 2016•Update: 29 June 2016
ANKARA
Turkey and Israel are to normalize relations after a six-year rift over the killing of 10 Turkish activists by Israeli commandos, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Monday.
Under a fresh agreement, both nations are to assign ambassadors the other’s capital, Yildirim said at a news conference at Cankaya Palace in Ankara.
Close ties between Turkey and Israel were broken after a Gaza-bound aid ship, the Mavi Marmara, was stormed by Israeli troops in May 2010.
Under the deal, which is due to be signed Tuesday, Israel will pay $20 million in compensation to the families of the Mavi Marmara victims. “The relatives of our citizens who lost their lives in the Mavi Marmara incident will be paid compensation, which will amount to $20 million,” Yildirim said.
A Turkish ship carrying 10,000 tons of aid bound for Gaza will head to the Israeli port of Ashdod on Friday, he added.
The prime minister said both governments had a role to play in normalizing relations across the region by fully implementing the agreement.
Turkish and Israeli negotiators met for a final round of talks in Rome on Sunday, a Turkish official speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media said.
The official said that Israel accepted a number of Turkish requests side, including compensation and Turkey’s humanitarian presence in the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007.
Turkey will be able to send humanitarian aid and embark on infrastructure projects such as residential construction and the building of a 200-bed hospital.
Turkey-Israel trade expected to rise after reconciliation
The normalization of Turkey- Israel relations is expected to boost bilateral trade volume, which has neared $4.5 billion in the last five years, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Authority, TurkStat.
Last year, exports to Israel amounted to $2.7 billion, up 13 percent, or $307 million, compared to 2011. Imports, however, saw a huge decline of 19 percent, or $384 million. Total trade volume between two countries was $4.37 billion, reflecting the deadlock in political attitudes towards each other.
Despite the tense relations, Israeli tourists have surprisingly considered Turkey as holiday destination, the number almost tripling between 2011 and 2015, according to official data.
