LOC01:48
22:48 GMT
ISTANBUL, June 26 (KUNA) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Sunday evening stressed the need that Israel must pay compensations for the families of victims of the attack on the Gaza-bound flotilla and lift the embargo on Gaza Strip.
"These are the two key conditions for normalization of relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv," Turkey's Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted him as saying at an "iftar" (fast-breaking dinner), organized by the Women's and Democracy Association in Antalya resort.
Turkey and Israel were continuing their negotiations for normalization of bilateral ties, but there will be no backing down on these conditions, Cavusoglu made it clear.
"Israel must compensate the families of our brothers who lost their lives and fell martyrs," he said, referring to the incident in May 31, 2010, when nine Turkish citizens were killed by Israeli naval forces in an attack on the six-ship flotilla led by MV Mavi Marmara.
"The second condition is the lifting of the unfair embargo on our Palestinian brothers, who for years have been under persecution, living in difficult conditions under embargo, where infrastructure has been destroyed as a result of attacks," he added.
Cavusoglu reiterated that: "We have made no compromise on these two conditions (before) and we will not (do that now)."
The minister said that normalizing ties with Israel does not mean for Turkey "to remain silent when our Palestinian brothers are wronged."
He vowed that Turkey would continue to deliver humanitarian and development aid to Palestinian. (end)
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