Turkey and Israel have had preliminary discussions on importing gas from the Israeli offshore, according to Turkish media reports. The talks mark a complete turnaround in energy relations from last year when Israeli jets buzzed a Turkish seismic ship (MEES, 21 May 2012).
However, hurdles still remain, including a formal Israeli apology for the 2010 raid by commandos on the Mavi Marmara ship and compensation to the families of the nine Turks who were killed, before any deal can progress. Any project “has to be feasible in political terms,” Hurriyet newspaper reported Turkish energy minister, Taner Yildiz as saying on 15 February. “If they want to realize this project, Israel has some steps to make,” he added. (CONTINUED - 372 WORDS)
