Turkish, Israeli officials to meet again for flotilla compensation

Turkish and Israeli officials will meet for the second time to discuss compensation payments to the families of the victims of a 2010 Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that killed eight Turks and a Turkish-American, Turkish diplomatic sources close to the talks said Sunday. A group led by Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu will travel to Tel Aviv this coming Monday to meet with Yaakov Amidror, Israeli prime minister's national security adviser. The latest round of talks were held on April 22 in the Turkish capital, Ankara, which saw the two sides agree on "the parameters that would determine the compensation," a major step, if achieved, in the efforts to put relations back to normal between the former close allies in the troubled Middle East. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said of the talks back in April that once the sides agreed on the amount of the compensation and the authorities in both countries approved it, "an important phase will be reached in raising our diplomatic ties to the highest level of representation." Compensation was one of Turkey's key demands to agree to restore full diplomatic ties afterIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended an official apology last month for the deaths. Turkey has also demanded from Israel to lift all restrictions on import of goods into Gaza.