The Ties between Turkey and Israel appear likely to be normalized following recent talks at a meeting between senior Israeli and Turkish officials in Switzerland.
Relations deteriorated in 2010 following an Israeli navy raid of a flotilla trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, resulting in ten Turkish activists being killed.
Whilst unconfirmed by either government, sources claim Israel has agreed to compensate families of those killed, while Turkey will drop all claims against Israel. In addition, plans for a natural gas pipeline from Israel to Turkey will also be discussed as relations continue to improve.
Turkey says Hitler comment by President Erdogan was “distorted”:
Turkey issued a statement that the comments made by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he cited Hitler in response to a question about if a strong presidency was possible in Turkey, was misinterpreted.
Mr. Erdogan’s comment drew immediate criticism and questions as to why the leader of one of the most influential countries in the world, a US ally and a member of NATO, would speak of Hitler in the context of his own presidency.
In response, the office of the President said that his Hitler comment was distorted by the media outlets and has been used in the opposite sense.