Moscow believes that Turkey has made a “serious step in the right direction” after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his “regret and sorrow” over the downing of a Russian jet previous year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said June 28, according to Reuters.
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Under the deal, Ankara has committed to keeping Hamas from carrying out military activities against Israel from Turkish territory, “including fundraising for such purposes”, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His Turkish counterpart, Binali Yildirim, made a simultaneous announcement in Ankara.
They reached their nadir in 2010 when Israeli commandos stormed a Turkish ship aiming to breech the blockade of Gaza.
In a blur of diplomatic activity on Monday Turkey appeared to bury the hatchet with Israel and Russian Federation, restoringing ties with the former that broke down following the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident.
In a compromise, the deal signed Tuesday will see Turkey invest in Palestinian infrastructure and deliver aid to Gaza residents via Israel’s Ashdod port rather than directly to Gaza. Netanyahu said it is a “clear” Israeli interest to help resolve Gaza’s water and electricity woes.
Noting that he was proud that, during his term as Secretary-General, cooperation between Israel and the United Nations has deepened in a variety of fields, including the promotion of theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mr. Ban said he is also pleased that Israel has been expanding its presence and role in the United Nations over the past 10 years. Turkey remains close ties with Hamas, an Islamic militant group that is sworn to Israel’s destruction and is labeled a terrorist organization by Israel and the West.
The accord, announced on Monday by the two countries’ prime ministers, was a rare rapprochement in the divided Middle East, driven by the prospect of lucrative Mediterranean gas deals as well as mutual fears over growing security risks.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, said the Israeli-Turkey deal amounts to Turkish recognition of the Gaza blockade.
The blockade itself will remain in place. He called the blockade a “top security interest”.
Speaking after a meeting with Netanyahu on Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the agreement, saying, “We are obviously pleased in the administration”. The U.S. top diplomat welcomed the agreement and congratulated Netanyahu. He said the USA has been working on the rapprochement for several years, and called it a “positive step”. Addressing Rivlin, Ban said “Mr. President, I count on your courage and leadership to take the bold actions that will establish a just, comprehensive and lasting peace for the people of Israel and Palestine”.
Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.
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“It is a collective punishment for which there must be accountability”, he said at one of dozens of United Nations schools in the enclave for Palestinian refugees, who account for some 75 percent of Gaza’s 1.9 million population. “The closure of Gaza suffocates its people, stifles its economy and impedes reconstruction efforts”. Egypt, which has cool relations with Hamas, has also kept its border with Gaza closed, compounding Gaza’s woes.
