Israel, Turkey closest to normalizing ties: Turkish FM

The Turkish foreign minister said during an interview with Hurriyet Daily News that most differences between the two sides had been “removed.”
 
This comes a week after a Turkish delegation met with Israeli officials and held talks over compensation for the family members of the nine Turkish nationals who were killed by Israeli forces on board the Mavi Marmara flotilla.
 
    Davutoglu said “there has recently been a momentum and new approach in compensation talks. We could say that most of the differences have been removed recently in these discussions.”
 
The victims were killed after Israeli commandoes raided their flotilla. Relations between Turkey and Israel soured following the incident.
 
Turkey also demanded an Israeli apology.
 
Details regarding the compensation payment amount have not been clarified.
 
In May 2010, the Mavi Marmara was on its way to provide aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel imposed an all-out land, aerial, and naval blockade on Gaza in 2007, denying nearly two million people of their basic needs and rights.