Israel, Turkey confrontover compensation for flotilla victims

Israel and Turkey are at odds over the amount of compensation to be paid to the families of nine Turkish nationals killed in a 2010 Israeli commando raid of a flotilla ship bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip, dpa reported according to Israeli media.

Turkey is demanding 1 million dollars for each person killed; Israel is willing to pay 100,000 dollars, the Israeli Globes financial newspaper said.

The Jerusalem Post said Israeli and Turkish officials were expected this week to begin meetings on the issue.

In previous negotiations it was proposed that Israel would pay directly into a Turkish fund set up for the families, and not to the families individually.

Israeli naval commandos intercepted the six-ship flotilla in international waters in May 2010, stopping it from busting a blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Five ships were boarded peacefully. However, violence broke out on the sixth, the Mavi Mamarma, between pro-Palestinian activists, some of them carrying knives, and Israeli commandos, who shot dead nine people.

Relations between Turkey and Israel, once close allies, worsened after the incident. Until last week, Israel had refused demands from Turkey to apologize and pay compensation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, the last day of a visit to Israel by US President Barack Obama, apologized and said the deaths had not been intentional.

In their first conversation since 2009, the two leaders agreed to return their respective ambassadors.


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