Turkey, Israel to mutually appoint ambassadors within 10 days
ANKARA
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Ankara and Tel-Aviv will mutually appoint ambassadors within 10 days, Turkish presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın announced on Oct. 13.Diplomatic ties between Turkey and Israel were disrupted in May 2010 when Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists on the Mavi Marmara, a ship bound for Gaza with humanitarian aid.
In the aftermath of the attack, Turkey demanded an official apology from Israel, compensation for the families of those killed, and the lifting of Israel’s Gaza blockade.
In 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced regret over the incident to Turkey’s then-prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In addition to compensation, Israel has agreed to Turkey’s humanitarian presence in the Gaza Strip.
On Aug. 20, Turkey’s parliament approved a deal involving Tel Aviv paying $20 million to the families of the victims, a sum which was paid on Sept. 30.
