Turkish court orders arrest of Israeli commanders

Turkey’s state-run agency says a Turkish court has ordered the arrests of four former Israeli military commanders being tried in absentia over the killing of nine people aboard a Turkish aid ship that tried to break a Gaza blockade in 2010.

The Anadolu Agency says the court in Istanbul on Monday ruled that authorities must seek an international warrant for Israel’s former military chief Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and three other former commanders.

The court’s decision comes despite signs that Turkey and Israel could be close to ending a four-year rift over the deaths.

Turkish officials have said that the two countries are close to sealing a reconciliation pact. In March, Israel allowed building materials into the Gaza Strip for the construction of a Turkish hospital.