Turkey, Israel agree on compensation text

ANKARA – Anatolia News Agency

Hürriyet Daily News photo Selahattin Sönmez.

Turkey and Israel have agreed on a text on the compensation for the Mavi Marmara incident and to hold a second meeting in the near future, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu said April 22.

Turkish and Israeli officials met April 22 in Ankara to discuss details regarding Israel’s pledge to pay compensation to the families of the Turkish victims of the incident after issuing an official apology to Turkey. Sinirlioğlu said they had not and would not discuss the amount of the compensation due to the sensitivity of the issue, referring to the meeting between the two sides.

He noted that Israeli and Turkish officials have discussed the parameters that will determine compensation. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, who has the role of coordinator in the compensation talks, also said the amount of compensation had not been discussed at the meeting. He said that instead the principles and parameters to be used to calculate the compensation had been determined.

No date, venue set for second meeting

“This problem will be solved at a second meeting, and if not enough, at a third one,” Arınç told reporters after meeting the Israeli officials in Ankara.

“We both agree that this is a problem that needs to be swiftly resolved,” he added. The undersecretary said the agreed text would be sent to Arınç and the second meeting would be held in the coming days, but no date or venue had been set.