Israeli, Turkish leaders laud deal to restore ties

Published June 27, 2016
Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim smiles as he announces the details of an agreement reached with Israel, in Ankara, Turkey.─AP
Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim smiles as he announces the details of an agreement reached with Israel, in Ankara, Turkey.─AP

JERUSALEM: Israeli and Turkish leaders on Monday lauded a deal reached at the weekend to restore ties after six years of acrimony over a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed Israel's maritime blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip would remain after the agreement, though Turkey obtained aid concessions for the Palestinian enclave.

His Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim said that “to this end, our first ship loaded with over 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid will leave for Israel's Ashdod port on Friday.” Yildirim also noted Israel's commitment to pay $20 million in compensation over the 2010 raid that killed 10 Turkish activists, in exchange for all claims against Israeli soldiers being dropped.

Netanyahu pointed to the economic benefits for Israel, with his country in search of regional customers for gas exports and talk of a potential pipeline to Turkey.

Speaking in Rome after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry, Netanyahu described the agreement as having “immense implications for the Israeli economy”.

“I mean positive, immense implications,” he said.

Kerry also hailed the deal as a “positive step”, while UN chief Ban Ki-moon, on a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, called it a “hopeful signal for the stability of the region”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas spoke by phone overnight, with the Turkish leader explaining the agreement's main points, a statement from the Palestinian presidency said.

Erdogan also met with Doha-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Friday in anticipation of the agreement.

After the deal is signed on Tuesday, the approval process will start in both countries, and the Turkish premier said Ankara would appoint an ambassador to Tel Aviv within weeks.

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram conundrum
Updated 19 Jan, 2025

Kurram conundrum

If terrorists and sectarian groups — regardless of their confessional affiliations — had been neutralised earlier, we would not be at this juncture today.
EV policy
19 Jan, 2025

EV policy

IT is pleasantly surprising that the authorities are moving with such purpose to potentially revolutionise...
Varsity woes
19 Jan, 2025

Varsity woes

GIVEN that most bureaucrats in our country are not really known for contributions to pedagogical excellence, it ...
Al Qadir ruling
Updated 18 Jan, 2025

Al Qadir ruling

One wonders whether the case is as closed as PTI’s critics would have one believe.
Atlantic tragedy
Updated 18 Jan, 2025

Atlantic tragedy

The only long-term solution lies in addressing root causes of illegal migration: financial misery and a lack of economic opportunities at home.
Cheap promises?
Updated 18 Jan, 2025

Cheap promises?

If promise of the cheapest electricity tariff in the region is to be achieved, the government will need to stay the course, make bitter choices, and take responsibility for its decisions.