Israel has offered Turkey $20 million in compensation to the families of those killed and wounded in its botched 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, Haaretz newspaper reported on Monday.
Citing unnamed Western diplomats briefed on the ongoing negotiations with Ankara, the daily said Turkey had yet to respond to the Israeli offer.
Once-close relations between the two nations fell apart after Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish nationals during a botched pre-dawn raid on a six-ship flotilla seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza in May 2010.
The assault provoked a major diplomatic crisis between the former regional allies, with Ankara demanding a formal apology and compensation for the families of the victims.
Talks finally began in March 2013 after Israel extended a formal apology to Turkey to get relations back on track following to-level intervention by U.S. President Barack Obama.
The talks stalled for several months but were revived in December when Israeli negotiators travelled to Istanbul and Turkey lowered its demands for compensation, Haaretz said.
Western diplomats quoted by the paper said Ankara had demanded $30 million, but Israel was initially willing to give only $15 million.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later decided to up Israel’s offer to $20 million, with an extra $3 million available “if necessary to secure and agreement,” the paper said.
The funds will not be paid directly to the families of the dead and the wounded but will be deposited in a humanitarian fund and distributed to them in accordance with defined criteria, it said.
Netanyahu’s office refused to comment on the report.

Report: Israel offers $20m to Turkey flotilla victims

The coffin of an activist, who was killed when Israel seized a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza, is carried by relatives and friends during a funeral ceremony in Istanbul June 3, 2010. (Reuters)
AFP, Occupied Jerusalem
Monday 03 February 2014
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:41 - GMT 06:41
DAY | WEEK |
-
22858 Views Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortage
-
16933 Views Saudi Arabia’s PIF to invest 3 trillion riyals over next 10 years: Crown Prince
-
8870 Views Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issues several new royal decrees
-
6806 Views Full moon to align directly above Kaaba in Mecca on Jan. 28
-
6353 Views Coronavirus: Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners
-
3912 Views Coronavirus: Dubai’s new restrictions disappoint hospitals; entertainers struggle on
-
22858 Views Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortage
-
19280 Views Coronavirus: Number of new UAE COVID-19 cases reaches record high
-
16840 Views Airstrikes pound Iran-backed militias south of Iraq’s Baghdad: Reports
-
10954 Views Coronavirus: Dubai orders hospitals to cancel surgeries amid surge in COVID-19 cases
-
8277 Views Coronavirus: Dubai suspends live entertainment permits as COVID-19 cases surge
-
7986 Views Coronavirus: Dubai's latest COVID-19 rules for weddings, restaurants, gyms, concerts
SHOW MORE