No agreement to normalise ties between Israel and Turkey has yet been reached following the latest round of talks in London between Israeli and Turkish negotiators.

But progress was apparently made. A statement from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said “The teams made progress towards finalising the agreement and closing the gaps, and agreed that the deal will be finalised in the next meeting which will be convened very soon.”

Israeli envoy Joseph Ciechanover and acting National Security Advisor Jacob Nagel met with Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu in an attempt to finalise a deal which would see the two countries resume diplomatic ties after a six year hiatus.

“Meetings with Israel have been taking place for a while and they are continuing today,” said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

“If our demands are received favourably, then the next steps will be clear and the necessary announcements will be made to the public.”

In 2010, the previously warm relationship between Israel and Turkey deteriorated and diplomatic relations were ceded after the deaths of ten Turkish activists who were killed whilst trying to prevent Israeli commandos taking over a ship, the Mavi Marmara, which tried to break the naval blockade of Gaza. In 2013, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paved the way for reconciliation by issuing an apology. It is thought that arrangements were made in 2014 over a compensation deal for the families of those killed aboard the Mavi Marmara. Although subsequent talks resumed last year and have been ongoing, a number of outstanding issues remain.

The major sticking points are thought to be Turkey’s demand for free access to the Gaza Strip and Israel’s demand that Hamas be expelled fully from Turkey. Ankara Ankara has always insisted there can be no normalization in ties with Israel unless its conditions for ending the Gaza blockade.

Israel allows commercial goods into Gaza daily but limits the transfer of certain items such as cement and building materials as it fears militants, such as Hamas, will use them to build fortifications and attack tunnels.

Officials describe the blockade on Gaza, which is supported by neighboring Egypt, as a necessary means of preventing arms smuggling by Palestinian militants.

In another sign of warming ties between the two countries, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin spoke directly with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month, after Erdogan had sent a letter of condolence following the killing of three Israelis in a terrorist attack in Istanbul.

In the wake of the attack, the Director General of Israel’s Foreign Ministry Dore Gold travelled to Turkey and praised the Turkish authorities for their support and cooperation.