Erdogan: Good Turkey-Israel relations 'good for entire region'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that normalised relations between Turkey and Israel would be beneficial to the Middle East region.

"This normalisation process would be good for us, Israel, Palestine and the entire region," Erdogan told reporters on a flight back from Turkmenistan on Sunday. "The region definitely needs this.”

“I don't believe the Israeli public is pleased with the current state of relations. We need to consider the interests of the people of the region and introduce peace."

Relations between the two countries broke down following an Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound Turkish ship Mavi Marmara in May 2010, where 10 Turkish activists were killed.

Erdogan reiterated that a diplomatic thaw between the two countries would begin following three preconditions that Israel must fulfil.

The first, which involved Israel issuing an official apology to Turkey for its attack on the Mavi Marmara, took place in 2013 under a US-brokered arrangement.

However, the second and third conditions, which include compensation to the victims’ families and an end to the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, have not been met.

“I already said that once the compensation and the embargo problems were resolved, the normalisation process may start,” Erdogan added.

The president was highly vociferous in his condemnation of Israel during its summer 2014 offensive on Gaza, accusing the government of committing genocide and of “barbarism surpassing Hitler”.

The Turkish Daily Sabah paper said that over the past week there have been noises made within Israel that indicated their willingness to restore relations with Turkey.

The paper referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointing a new chief of Mossad, Yossi Cohen, as a signal to improve ties with regional countries. Additionally, Israeli Minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz had publicly discussed potential natural gas exports to Turkey.