In their first phone conversation since 2010, the Zionist PM has apologized to Turkish PM Erdogan for deaths in the Gaza flotilla raid.

In their first phone conversation since 2010, the Zionist PM has apologized to Turkish PM Erdogan for deaths in the Gaza flotilla raid, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. The Zionist entity also agreed to compensation for bereaved families.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accepted the apology and agreed with his Zionist counterpart on the need to normalize the relationship that deteriorated after the UN report in 2011 made public the storming of a Turkish aid flotilla.

As back then no apology followed from the Jewish entity, Ankara expelled its ambassador and froze military cooperation with the country.

During Friday’s call, Netanyahu and Erdogan “agreed to restore normalization between Israel and Turkey, including the dispatch of ambassadors and the cancellation of legal steps against IDF soldiers,” Ofir Gendelman, the Zionist PM’s spokesperson said in statement posted on FaceBook.

Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara was on its way from Turkey to the Gaza Strip when it was intercepted by the Zionist Navy in May 2010. The vessel was part of a flotilla that was attempting to break an occupation naval blockade of Gaza. As a result of the incident, nine Turkish activists aboard the vessel were killed.

The news on the telephone call was broken by US President Barack Obama himself.

"The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security," Obama said.

"I am hopeful that today's exchange between the two leaders will enable them to engage in deeper cooperation on this and a range of other challenges and opportunities," the US president added.

The statement was released by the White House just before he ended a visit to the Occupied Territories.