28 June 2016•Update: 01 July 2016
By Nazli Yuzbasioglu
ANKARA
Turkey and Israel separately signed a reconciliation deal on Tuesday aiming to normalize relations after a six-year hiatus, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
The agreement was signed by the Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu in Ankara at 11 a.m. local time (0800GMT) in a closed meeting.
Dore Gold, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s director-general, signed the agreement at a similar event in Jerusalem, the ministry said in a statement.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has indicated that Turkey and Israel would re-appoint ambassadors after the deal was approved.
According to Israel Radio, Israel's security cabinet is due to approve the deal on Wednesday but Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, both ministers with the far-right Jewish Home party, said they would reject the deal.
If approved, the agreement will be presented to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
Turkey and Israel reached an initial reconciliation agreement late Sunday. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were suspended after Israeli troops stormed a Gaza-bound aid ship in international waters in May 2010, killing 10 Turkish activists.
The Mavi Marmara was among six civilian vessels that had been trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza when they were boarded by Israeli commandos.
In the aftermath of the attack, Turkey demanded a formal apology from Israel, compensation for the families of those killed and the lifting of Israel’s Gaza blockade.
In 2013, Netanyahu voiced his regret for the attack.
On Monday, months of talks between the two countries finally bore fruit, with Turkey announcing that a deal would be signed the following day, normalizing relations with Israel.
According to the deal, Israel will pay $20 million in compensation to the families of the Mavi Marmara victims.
Also, 10,000 tons of supplies will sail to Gaza from Turkey on Friday, Yildirim announced on Monday.
Germany welcomed the reconciliation and Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer told a news conference in Berlin it would have positive impact on regional stability.
“The rapprochement between these two important countries, two close partners of Germany, is a contribution to stability in the region,” he said. “We hope that yesterday’s agreement will lead to a permanent improvement in relations. There is a big potential for a close cooperation between these countries, both in terms of economic and political cooperation.”
*Tutku Senen in Ankara, Ayhan Simsek in Berlin and Kaamil Ahmed in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
