Israel and Turkey Reach Draft Agreement to Restore Relations

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: World Economic Forum.

Israeli and Turkish officials during a meeting on Monday reached a draft agreement to end the countries’ three-year diplomatic dispute.

Turkey broke off relations with Israel following the May 2010 Gaza flotilla incident, when Israeli soldiers boarded the Mavi Marmara vessel as it attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The incident resulted in the death of nine Turkish militants who had attacked the Israelis.

Monday’s Israel-Turkey meeting “was conducted in a good and positive manner” and the two sides “expect to come to an agreement in the near future,” said a statement released by the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

“The delegations reached an agreed draft, but further clarifications are required on certain subjects,” the prime minister’s office added.

The diplomatic standoff between Israel and Turkey ended when Netanyahu, encouraged by U.S. President Barack Obama, called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the end of Obama’s recent visit to Israel and apologized for the deaths of the flotilla militants. Since then, the countries have discussed compensation for the militants’ families.

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