ZAGREB, Croatia – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that negotiating teams of Turkey and Israel will meet again in mid-May to try to reach a reconciliation deal.
Speaking at a press briefing here, he said that the two countries were discussing the establishment of a series of humanitarian projects in Gaza relating to electricity and water, as part of the negotiations surrounding Turkish demands toward lifting the embargo on Gaza.
Erdogan said that Turkey offered during negotiations to send a ship, anchored in Israel’s Ashdod port, to provide electricity for Gaza to help cope with the Strip’s severe energy crisis. He said that Israel was reluctant, and offered the establishment of a power plant within Gaza, carried out between Turkey and Germany, as an alternative project.
“We said that could be possible. We still haven’t given up on the ship. Israel is also positive towards our proposal to address Gaza’s water problem through water desalination plants or wells. There is also a need for schools and hospitals. We are seeking donors. Some have promised to contribute,” Erdogan said.
In Jerusalem, a senior Israeli official said that the date of the next round of Israel-Turkey talks has not yet been determined but would presumably take place in mid-May. According to the official, Turkey has brought up the matter of sending a ship in the past but is no longer on the agenda.
Instead, Israel has suggested other humanitarian projects Turkey can perform in Gaza. The official noted that Turkey’s status in Gaza concerning Israel will not be different from any other country. The Turkish and Israeli negotiating teams met three weeks ago in London, attended by Israeli envoy Joseph Ciechanover and Israel’s deputy National Security adviser Jacob Nagel and Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu.
In Ankara, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced after that round that progress had been made in closing the gap toward reaching a reconciliation agreement. According to the announcement, the teams agreed that the deal would be reached in the next round of talks. One of the main issues, however, is the lack of consensus on Israel’s demand to stop military command from Hamas’ headquarters in Istanbul.