Israel and Turkey agree to normalise ties, ending rift over lethal cruise-ship raid

Israel and Turkey on Sunday reached agreement to normalise ties, senior officials from both countries said, to end a rift over the Israeli navy’s killing of 10 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists who tried to sail to the blockaded Gaza Strip in 2010.

A formal announcement on the restoration of ties and the details of the agreement were expected on Monday from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

“We reached an agreement with Israel to normalise bilateral relations on Sunday in Rome,” a senior Turkish official said, describing the agreement as a “diplomatic victory” for Turkey, although Israel has not accepted to lift the Gaza blockade, one of Ankara’s three conditions for an agreement.

The once-firm allies had been quietly mending fences in trade and tourism since their leaders held a conciliatory telephone call in 2013 and negotiations have intensified over the past six months to pave the way for a mutual return of ambassadors.

Netanyahu travelled to Rome on Sunday to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli and Turkish officials were also in the Italian capital to finalise the deal.

Israel, which had already offered its apologies - one of Ankara’s three conditions for a deal - for its lethal raid on the Mavi Marmara activist ship, agreed to pay out US$20 million to the bereaved and injured, the Israeli official said in a briefing to Israeli reporters travelling with Netanyahu.

Under the deal, Turkey will deliver humanitarian aid and other non-military products to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects including residential buildings and a hospital in the area, the senior Turkish official said. Concrete steps will be taken to address the water and power crisis in the city.