Turkey’s foreign minister says parliament will approve a deal to normalize ties with Israel before it goes into its summer recess later this month, the Anadolou news agency reports.
“I think we will finalize this work before the parliament goes into the summer recess,” Mevlut Cavusoglu is quoted as telling the state-run agency.
Turkey and Israel signed a deal in June to restore their ties that hit an all-time low after a May 2010 raid by Israeli commandos on a Gaza-bound aid ship left 10 Turks dead.
Footage taken from the Mavi Marmara security cameras, showing activists preparing to attack IDF soldiers, May 2010. (IDF Spokesperson/Flash90)
Israel has already offered compensation and an apology over the raid, but with the agreement it also eases the naval blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza, allowing Ankara to deliver humanitarian aid for Palestinians there.
Cavusoglu acknowledges parliament has so far not taken up the deal with Israel, because of time pressure created by the July 15 coup attempt by rogue elements in the military.
“Israel has lived up to our conditions. We said ‘if the conditions are fulfilled we’ll normalize ties.’ So we must implement it as soon as possible,” he says.
Only once the deal is ratified by parliament will Turkey and Israel begin the process of exchanging ambassadors to fully restore their diplomatic ties.
— AFP
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