Senior Turkish Official Wants to Visit Israel

Just hours after the Turkish Parliament formally approved the reconciliation agreement with Israel, Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Mehmed Simsek said he is willing to visit Israel, saying the reconciliation agreement with Israel is good for Turkey and the entire region. Turkey signed the agreement on Saturday, while Israel signed it earlier. Relations between the two countries soured after Israeli commandos stormed a ship called the Mavi Marmara that was trying to break Israel’s Gaza blockade. Nine Turks, including a dual American citizen, were killed, and one died years later. According to the reconciliation deal, which has taken years to negotiate, Israel will pay the families of those who were killed aboard the Mavi Marmara flotilla $20 million within the next 25 days. Turkey agreed to cancel all lawsuits against Israeli soldiers involved in the incident. Turkey is expected to return its ambassador to Israel soon. Until the Mavi Marmara incident, tens of thousands of Israelis vacationed in Turkey every year, and the two countries had extensive military and intelligence ties.