BREAKING NEWS

Report: Turkey close to resuming normalized relations with Israel

By JPOST.COM STAFF

FEBRUARY 29, 2016 11:11

Updated: FEBRUARY 29, 2016 11:13

Turkey is close to resuming normalized relations with Israel after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that the two countries plan to make a statement together within the coming days, Turkey's Hurriyet Daily newspaper reported Monday.

Çavuşoğlu made the statement during a cabinet briefing on February 22, saying that undersecretary-level efforts between Israel and Turkey had been completed.

Turkish media have reported repeatedly in recent months that a rapprochement with Israel is imminent.

Turkish-Israel relations soured in May 2010 after an Israeli raid on a Turkish boat, the Mavi Marmara, saw ten people killed as the vessel attempted to breach a blockade on the Gaza Strip.

After the Mavi Marmara incident, then prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan put three condition on a normalization of ties: an Israeli apology, compensation and a lifting of the blockade of Gaza.

Netanyahu apologized in 2013 and the issue of compensation has apparently been resolved, but there was no word in Thursday’s statement from the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the issue of the Gaza blockade.

Israeli officials have said Israel would not lift the blockade, which it sees as of cardinal importance to its security, to please Erdogan.

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