ANKARA (News Desk) – Turkey and Israel have inked a historic deal that resumes bilateral ties, six years after the Freedom Flotilla attack.
During the incident, Israeli forces attacked and killed numerous people on a Turkish aid flotilla delivering essentials to people in Gaza, which was suffering under an Israel-enforced blockade at the time.
Under the deal, Ankara will provide humanitarian aid and other non-military goods to Gaza and engage in several infrastructure projects. These projects include constructing residential buildings and a hospital, and improving water and power supply in the Gaza strip, according to Reuters.
Following the major development, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas via telephone and briefed him on the deal with Israel. Abbas expressed satisfaction over the agreement.
The Israeli navy had killed as many as 10 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists who were carrying aid goods to the Gaza Strip in 2010. This resulted in Turkey’s boycott of Israel at various international forums.
After the incident, Israel had offered unconditional apologies and also announced to pay about $20 million in compensation to the victims of Freedom Flotilla.
