Israel and Turkey end six-year diplomatic rift

Israel and Turkey have normalised relations, ending a six-year rift over the killing by Israeli troops of 10 Turkish activists on a Gaza-bound ship.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said a deal reached on Sunday would see Israel pay $20 million (€18.2 million) in compensation.

It will also allow Turkey to send aid to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects in the Palestinian territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement would help bring “stability” to the Middle East.

Turkey was once Israel’s closest ally in the region, and the two countries share many strategic interests.

The Turkish and Israeli prime ministers announced the deal to restore diplomatic ties at simultaneous news conferences in Ankara and Rome.

Yildirim said the two countries would appoint ambassadors as soon as possible after the agreement is signed on Tuesday.

He also revealed that the first delivery of Turkish aid to Gaza was imminent.

“Our first ship loaded with over 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid will leave for the Israeli port of Ashdod on Friday,” he added.

Yildirim stated that the deal “largely” lifted Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, which was dominated by the militant Islamist movement Hamas.

However, Netanyahu stressed that the “defensive” measure remained in place.

“This is a supreme security interest of ours,” he said. “I was not willing to compromise it.”

“This interest is essential to prevent the force build-up by Hamas and it remains as has been and is.”

Israel maintains its blockade of Gaza to try to prevent weapons or materials reaching Palestinian militants, with whom it fought a devastating war in 2014, while allowing humanitarian aid into the territory.

Palestinians say the policy is tantamount to collective punishment, and UN and aid officials have warned of deteriorating conditions in Gaza.

The Turkish-owned ship Mavi Marmara was part of a flotilla attempting to breach the blockade when it was intercepted by Israeli commandos on 31 May 2010.

Ten pro-Palestinian Turkish activists, one of them a dual American citizen, were killed and dozens wounded as clashes broke out after the commandos boarded the ship, descending on ropes from helicopters.

The two sides have blamed each other for the violence. The activists said the commandos started shooting as soon as they hit the deck. Israel said the commandos opened fire only after being attacked with clubs, knives and a gun which was taken from them.

A UN inquiry was unable to determine at exactly which point the commandos used live rounds.