Turkish and Israeli officials have come "close" to a deal on compensation for the Jewish state's deadly 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla after talks in Jerusalem on Monday, the Israeli premier's office said. "The meeting was positive," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement "The two teams have a project but clarifications are still needed on some issues. The two sides expect to reach an accord in the near future," it said, without giving details. Israeli television also gave a positive account of the meeting held at the foreign ministry.

Turkish and Israeli officials were meeting in Jerusalem on Monday for another round of talks over compensation for the Jewish state's deadly 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, an Israeli official told AFP. Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said the negotiations started at midday (0900 GMT) at the ministry's Jerusalem headquarters, although they were being run by officials from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bureau.

Israeli and Turkish officials on Monday began talks on compensation over a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship, a crucial step towards restoring the once-solid ties between the two countries. This first meeting is part of what Turkish officials said would be a several-step diplomatic process that will seek an agreement on the amount to be paid out to "meet the needs of the victims' families."

Israeli and Turkish officials on Monday began talks on compensation over a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship, a crucial step towards restoring the once-solid ties between the two countries. Israel last month finally made a formal apology for the botched 2010 raid in which its troops killed nine Turkish activists on a Gaza-bound flotilla.