Turkey, Israel Rapprochement Expected June 26

The long-awaited news of a Turkish-Israeli rapprochement is expected to be announced on June 26 according to reports emanating from Ankara. The deal would end six years of frozen diplomacy and restore the important link for the Jewish state via a secular Islamic state to the Arab world. Prior to May 2010, Turkish President Erdogan had exhibited a sharp turn toward vehement criticism of Israel. But all forms of relationships between the two nations were fast-frozen when a Turkish ship, the Marvi Marmara, was intercepted while trying to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and Israeli naval commandoes who rappelled onto the deck were met by, depending upon one’s politics, either armed activists or agents-provocateur. Nine Turkish nationals died in the fighting. Over the course of the past six years, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu directed his foreign ministry to seek a reconciliation and even authorized some $20 million to be paid to the families of the Turkish nationals who died aboard the Marvi Marmara and apologized for the incident. What has held up an agreement until now is the Turkish demand that Israel end its blockade of the Gaza Strip. Reports from Ankara indicate the final piece of the puzzle was solved with Israel allowing the completion of a hospital under construction in Gaza, the building of a power station and a desalination plant. For its part, Turkey apparently dropped its demand that it be allowed to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gaza and will agree instead to off-loading goods bound for Gaza in the Israeli port of Ashdod.