’Israel’ to Compensate Turkey over Flotilla Raid

Local Editor

A compensation deal for Turkish victims of a deadly "Israeli" raid on a Gaza aid flotilla four years ago will soon be signed, Ankara said on Tuesday.
The May 2010 "Israeli" assault on the Turkish ship [Mavi Marmara] while it was in international waters on its way to Gaza triggered a severe diplomatic crisis between the Zionist entity and Turkey.

"We have received a final agreement document from "Israel"," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc was quoted as saying by Hurriyet newspaper's website.

He said that after next Sunday's local elections, "our first job will be making sure the compensation is bound by a legal document".

Talks on compensation over the nine Turks killed in the raid began in March 2013 after "Israel" extended a formal apology to Turkey in a breakthrough brokered by US President Barack Obama.

The amount of compensation to be paid was believed to be among the sticking points.

In February, "Israeli" Haaretz newspaper reported that Tel Aviv had offered $20 million in compensation to the families of those massacred and wounded in the flotilla raid.

The local elections Sunday are seen as a test of the popularity of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been battling a damaging corruption scandal engulfing his inner circle since mid-December.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team