Netanyahu, speaking in Rome after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry, described the agreement as having “immense implications for the Israeli economy”.
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He noted the economic importance of normalizing ties with Turkey and said it also offers stability.
“It has also enormous implications for the Israeli economy and I use that word advisedly – vast implications – for the Israeli economy, and I mean positive huge implications”.
In 2010, 80 miles off the Israeli coast, in the Mediterranean Sea, Israeli soldiers raided a Turkish ship that was on a humanitarian mission to the Gaza Strip.
“I’m sure this is an agreement that is good for both sides so I don’t want to start quibbling on that but I will say this: the security naval blockade remains in place but we do enable cargo and materiel, and humanitarian material, to come from Turkey or from any other country to Israel”.
On Monday, months of talks between the two countries finally bore fruit, with Turkey announcing that a deal would be signed the following day, normalizing relations with Israel.
In its first reaction to the agreement, Hamas expressed its “thanks and gratitude to Turkish President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan” and the Turkish people late yesterday.
Previously tight relations between Israel and Turkey were significantly downgraded after Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla in May 2010.
The two nations will exchange ambassadors as soon as possible after a six-year rupture, and the deal would be signed on Friday, Yildirim said. Ten crew members were killed in the ensuing fight, and several Israeli soldiers were injured.
Some 10 Turkish citizens – including one dual US-Turkish citizen – were killed aboard the Mavi Marmara ship, which was in global waters.
Turkey will help Israel join worldwide organizations in which it has membership, especially North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. “And therefore the embargo there will have been lifted with Turkey’s leadership”. Turkey has become isolated in the region, as its relations with Russia deteriorated after it shot down a Russian warplane flying over Turkish airspace in November.
“This is a supreme security interest for us”.
Netanyahu said he kept Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Russian Federation – all countries who have a fraught relationship with Turkey – in the loop regarding the negotiations leading up to the accord.
Former Israeli official Gideon Sa’ar blasted the $20 million transfer agreement: “Israel should pay Turkey compensation for the Marmara?”
Yildirim said the deal, which will allow Turkey to deliver aid to Gaza and engage in infrastructure investments to construct residential buildings and a hospital and to address energy and water shortages in Gaza amounted to a partial lifting of the Gaza blockade.
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The third condition dealt with the removal of the blockade over the Gaza Strip. The families of the soldiers have slammed the prime minister for not making reconciliation with Turkey dependent on Hamas returning the bodies.
