Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded Israel to lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip in order to sign an agreement between the two countries.
Erdogan said in a press conference held in Ankara with his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rakhoi Wednesday night that significant progress has been made in the talks with Israel.
Israel Channel 2 qouted an Israeli official as saying that Israel will not agree to ease the Gaza blockade as a part of the deal it is negotiating with Turkey.
Relations between Ankara and Jerusalem strained after an IOF raid on the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish-owned ship in May 2010 to enforce a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Nine Turkish citizens were killed in the raid.
