Israel, Turkey officials to discuss compensation next week
ANKARA - Agence France-Presse
AA Photo
Officials from Turkey and Israel will meet next week for talks on compensation for the families of victims of a deadly 2010 flotilla raid for which Israel apologised last week, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said today."A delegation from Israel will travel to Turkey next week to work out the compensation issue," Arınç said in televised remarks.
Arınç declined to say how much compensation would be paid out by Israel, adding the exact amount would be clarified after talks with the lawyers of victims' families.
Until last week, Israel had refused to apologise for the Mavi Marmara raid and had instead expressed regret for the deaths.
But last Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologised to Turkey, a breakthrough brokered by US President Barak Obama during his visit to Israel.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accepted the apology "in the name of the Turkish people" but said the country's future relationship with Israel would depend on the Jewish state.
