Gaza Freedom Flotilla

A humanitarian aid flotilla destined for Gaza was halted after Guinea Bissau decided to remove its flag from two vessels, activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on Saturday.

“We will test both the Egyptian and Gazan entry points from the sea. Israel previously conducted a raid on the Mavi Marmara. This time, they won’t be able to do anything”

Kemal Gümüş, a journalist for the Turkish daily Star, said on Nov. 23 that he was deported from Israel on grounds that he was among the passengers of the Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza in 2010 which was raided by Israeli forces.

Turkey's new ambassador to Israel, Kemal Ökem, submitted his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Dec. 12, marking the inauguration of a Turkish envoy to the country for the first time in six years.
 

A strong wind whipped up forest and bush fires across Israel and the West Bank on Nov. 24, causing the worst rash of fires since 2010 when the country suffered the single deadliest wildfire in history. 

Turkey had proposed to offer aid by sending firefighting aircraft to Israel, which Israel accepted. 

Israel on Oct. 5 intercepted a boat carrying women activists seeking to break the country's decade-long blockade of the Gaza Strip, saying it was boarded without incident and taken ashore.

The Israeli government on Sept. 30 paid $20 million in compensation to Turkey over the Mavi Marmara flotilla raid in 2010, which led to the suspension of diplomatic ties between the two countries before a reconciliation deal was reached earlier this year, private broadcaster CNN Türk has reported.

Turkey and Israel are close to a deal on normalizing ties more than five years after relations were downgraded, a senior Turkish official said on Feb. 16.

Turkish media reports said high-level Turkish and Israeli delegations held a second round of talks in Geneva earlier this month.

Presidential spokesperson ?brahim Kal?n has said progress was made with Israel on the issue of compensation for Mavi Marmara victims, adding that Turkey had not changed its three conditions for normalization of ties between the two countries. 

Turkish Customs and Trade Minister Bülent Tüfenkçi said Dec. 25 that if an agreement with Israel was reached after five years of tense relations, it would allow Turkish products to enter Gaza more easily. 

Answering questions at a news conference with members of the Economy Correspondents' Association, Tüfenkçi said Tel Aviv would allow Turkish products to enter Gaza.