BICOM

Turkish authorities yesterday submitted the reconciliation deal agreed with Israel in June for parliamentary approval, paving the way for the normalisation of ties following a six-year hiatus.

The agreement is set to be approved before Turkey’s parliament goes into a recess later this month. Consideration by the country’s legislature was delayed following the attempted coup in Turkey last month. The text of the agreement forwarded to Turkey’s parliament specifies that Israel will pay Turkey around £15 million in compensation within 25 days. In return, any legal case against Israeli individuals involved in the Mavi Marmara incident, which sparked the cessation of diplomatic ties, will be dropped by Turkey.

Also under the agreement, Turkish aid will reach Gaza via Israel’s Ashdod port and Turkey will also help build a hospital, power plant and desalination plant in Gaza. At the same time, Turkey has agreed that terror groups such as Hamas will not be able to use the country as a base. Meanwhile, full diplomatic relations and bilateral cooperation will be resumed and the two countries will also work together on developing the region’s natural gas reserves.

In 2010, the previously warm relationship between Israel and Turkey deteriorated and diplomatic relations were ceded after the deaths of ten Turkish citizens who were killed on the Gaza-bound protest ship, the Mavi Marmara, while attempting to prevent Israeli commandos from boarding the ship. It is thought that arrangements were made as early as 2014 over a compensation deal. Subsequent talks resumed last year, including a meeting in London in April.

Though it is unclear exactly when Turkey’s parliament will debate the reconciliation, the deal has already received the approval of Israel’s security cabinet. Once the agreement is ratified by Turkey, it is thought that the two countries will begin the process of exchanging ambassadors in order to fully restore diplomatic ties.