Turkish Parliament Approves Normalization of Relations with Israel for $ 20 Million

Turkish Parliament ratified a settlement agreement with Israel. It provides for the payment of compensation to the families of those killed in the incident with the Freedom Flotilla in 2010, after which the countries broke off their diplomatic relations. Turkish MPs voted for the ratification of the settlement agreement with Israel, which opens the way to a full recovery of the diplomatic relations interrupted in 2010 and to exchange of the ambassadors, Anadolu News Agency reported.

The agreement provides for a lump sum compensation payment by Israel of $ 20 million, which will be transferred to the victims in the incident with the Freedom Flotilla in 2010.

Under the agreement, citizens of Israel will not be held criminally or financially liable because of the incident.

The upcoming restoration of relations between the two countries was announced on June 27 - in Ankara by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and in Rome – by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister said at the time that Tel Aviv agreed to allow Turkey to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories, as well as to implement infrastructure projects there. Netanyahu stressed that deliveries to Gaza will be possible only through Israeli ports, as the "maritime protective blockade" will be kept. According to Yildirim, a priority for his government is to normalize the political and diplomatic relations with Israel. In particular, the two countries will exchange ambassadors who were withdrawn after the incident with the activists.

The incident with the Freedom Flotilla occurred on May 31, 2010, when Israeli commandos landed on the ship Mavi Marmara. Then, Israeli soldiers killed ten Turkish activists who tried to break the blockade of Gaza, imposed by Israel. -02D-