After a six-year rift, Israel and Turkey announced Monday they reached an agreement to restore diplomatic ties.
The tension between the two had been in place since Israeli troops raided and killed 10 activists aboard a Turkish flotilla on its way to the Gaza Strip in 2010. One of those killed was a dual U.S. citizen.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Sunday from Ankara that the deal requires Israel to pay $20 million in compensation for the 2010 flotilla attack. Turkey will also be able to send humanitarian aid through certain Israeli ports to Palestinians living in Gaza.
“The world is in turmoil. The Middle East is in turmoil. And my goal as prime minister is to create focus points of stability in this volatile and stormy region,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in announcing the reconciliation. He added that “the break between us didn’t benefit either of our mutual interests.”
Netanyahu said the naval blockade will remain in place. However, both countries are expected to see economic benefits, especially in the energy and tourism sectors.
The Obama administration praised the new agreement.
“The United States welcomes this step. It is something we have talked about for several years … This is a step we wanted to see happen,” Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters in Rome on Sunday, as word of the agreement began to leak.
According to Yildirim, the two countries will appoint ambassadors as soon as possible following the official signing got the agreement Tuesday.
