Turkey, Israel discuss compensation for Gaza aid flotilla victims

Turkish and Israeli delegations met in Istanbul last week for compensation negotiations for victims of a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in 2010, which killed eight Turks and a Turkish American, local Haaretz daily reported Monday. The meeting was part of the ongoing process for compensation talks between the two countries, a Turkish diplomat told Xinhua, without giving further details about the content of the meeting. An Israeli delegation headed by National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's envoy Joseph Ciechanover met with Undersecretary of Turkish Foreign Ministry Feridun Sinirlioglu last week in the coastal city of Istanbul, according to the Haaretz. "The agreement is ready. There are still differences regarding the amounts, but they have narrowed," a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying. Turkey downgraded diplomatic and security ties with Israel after the attack in May 2010. Following an apology issued by Netanyahu to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the two countries put an end to a three-year rift.