Turkey says close to deal with Israel on normalisation
Turkey and Israel are nearing agreement on a deal to normalise ties after positive progress was made on Ankara's key demands in closed-door negotiations, a Turkish official said on Friday.
Israeli officials earlier revealed that Israel and Turkey in secret talks in Switzerland had reached "understandings" to normalise ties that were downgraded following the deadly 2010 Israeli commando raid on a Turkish aid ship headed for the Gaza Strip.
A senior Turkish government official, who asked not to be named, told reporters that progress had been made on Turkey's key demands of lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip and compensation over the 2010 raid.
"We are close to a final framework" for a deal on the normalisation of ties, said the official. "There is tangible, positive progress."
The official emphasised that no final agreement had yet been signed but said Ankara hoped the two sides would come to a final accord soon.
"We hope it will not last long" before there is an agreement, said the official.
The official did not confirm Israeli media reports that Turkey will prevent senior Hamas operative Salah Aruri from entering its territory and acting from there.
"We did not discuss specific names," said the official. "We'll talk if and when there is a specific request."
Israel has in the past accused Turkey of hosting Aruri, who it says has planned attacks against Israeli forces while in Turkey.
Turkish officials have never confirmed his presence in Turkey although Israeli media reports have suggested he was ordered to leave the country.
Turkey regularly receives the chief of the Palestinian militant group Hamas Khaled Meshaal for public visits where he holds talks with the Turkish leadership.
The official also said one of the reasons for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was Israel's ongoing blockade of the territory that it once occupied.
"We have already laid down the lifting of blockade as a condition. There has been progress on this," said the official.
Once normalisation is agreed, individual issues could be discussed such as Turkey importing gas from Israel, added the official.