Full normalization with Turkey around corner, as Turkish parliament gets accord to ratify –

MESOP : ISRAEL & TURKEY – FULL NORMALIZATION & COOPERATION / GOOD OLD INTEL LADY GALLIA LINDENSTRAUSS VERY OPTIMISTIC

 Aftershocks from attempted Turkey coup delaying Israel reconciliation – 17 Aug 2016 – Jerusalem Post

Turkish lawmakers submitted the rapprochement agreement with Israel to parliament on Wednesday, the last hurdle to the full normalization of ties and an exchange of ambassadors that is expected to take place the day of ratification. The deal calls for Israel to pay $20 million in compensation to a fund for the families of those killed in the Mavi Marmara incident six years ago, and allow Turkey to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza via the Ashdod port.

In exchange, Turkish legislation will prevent any outstanding legal claims against IDF soldiers, and Turkey will be obligated to prevent Hamas from preparing attacks against Israel – including fund-raising – from Turkish soil.

Initially, the accord signed at the end of June was to have been brought to the Turkish parliament a month ago, but the timeline was delayed because of the attempted coup on July 15 and its aftermath. It is expected to easily pass the legislature.  New ambassadors are expected to be announced as soon as parliament ratifies the deal, which is expected by the end of the week before the parliament goes into summer recess.
The accord was submitted to parliament a day after a leaked intelligence document in Germany accused Turkey of financing terrorist groups in the Middle East, including Hamas. Both government officials and experts on Turkey in Israel said this will likely have no impact on the deal, because Israel has been well aware of this situation for a long period.
One source said the parts of the agreement dealing with the Turkey-Hamas relationship have remained confidential.
The Israeli-Turkish rapprochement was held up for months because of a disagreement regarding Hamas, which has offices inside Turkey.
Turkey’s relationship with Hamas was taken into consideration by Israel, one government source said, noting that the parts of the reconciliation agreement dealing with Turkey’s relationship with Hamas have remained confidential.

Gallia Lindenstrauss, a research fellow who focuses on Turkey at the Institute for National Security Studies, said she did not think the German report would influence the accord because ties between Hamas and Turkey is “old news.”
She said former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon had warned of these ties, and that it was agreed with the Turks that while attacks would not be organized or planned from Turkish territory, Hamas’s diplomatic representation could remain in the country.

Lindenstrauss said there was somewhat of an ambivalence in Israel regarding Hamas-Turkish relations. On the one hand, Jerusalem is obviously not happy with it, she said, yet some see certain practical benefits to those ties during times of crisis.

She said there was some Turkish involvement in the 2011 deal with Hamas that freed Gilad Schalit. And, in an indication that some believe Turkey has leverage on Hamas, she noted that now with the reconciliation accord, the families of four Israelis missing in Gaza are asking that it be postponed until the bodies of two soldiers believed dead and held by Hamas, and two other Israelis believed to be alive and missing in Gaza, are returned. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Israel-to-pay-Turkey-20-million-in-compensation-after-6-year-rift-464336?utm_source=newsletter+17-08-2016&utm_campaign=newsletter_17_8