BICOM

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told major Turkish daily Hurriyet yesterday that Turkey and Israel will finalise a compensation package during the coming days which will enable diplomatic ties between the two countries to be restored.

In 2010, the previously warm relationship between Israel and Turkey deteriorated and diplomatic relations were ceded after the deaths of nine Turkish citizens who were killed whilst trying to prevent Israeli commandos taking over a Gaza-bound protest ship, the Mavi Marmara. In February, it was widely reported that a senior Turkish delegation visited Israel and made significant progress in agreeing a compensation deal for the families of those killed aboard the Mavi Marmara, paving the way for a rapprochement. However, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan quelled such optimism by saying at the time that any agreement would “need to include a clause in the protocol that calls for the lifting of the siege on Gaza.”

Yesterday, Hurriyet quoted Erdogan’s deputy Arinc, who said that a deal is likely to be signed following Sunday’s local elections in Turkey. He added that US President Barack Obama had been instrumental in negotiations and that an exchange of ambassadors between Israel and Turkey is expected after the agreement is signed. The article also quoted an unnamed diplomatic source who said, “An agreement is almost ready and is waiting for the finalization of some minor issues before being submitted to the two countries’ leadership.”

However, according to Israel’s Channel Two, Israeli officials expressed surprise at Arinc’s comments and indicated that no agreement has yet been reached. Some commentators have speculated that the prospects of finalizing a deal may be impacted significantly by Sunday’s local elections in Turkey, suggesting that if Erdogan’s AKP Party performs well in the poll, he may well harden his attitude towards a deal with Israel.