ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog travels to Turkey on Wednesday, changing into the primary Israeli chief to go to in 14 years, as the 2 nations transfer to show a brand new web page of their troubled relationship.
Herzog is scheduled to carry talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara earlier than touring to Istanbul for conferences with Turkey’s Jewish neighborhood there.
Turkey and Israel have been as soon as shut allies, however the relationship frayed underneath Erdogan, who’s an outspoken critic of Israel’s insurance policies towards the Palestinians. Israel, for its half, has been angered by Erdogan’s embrace of Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group.
The nations withdrew their ambassadors in 2010 after Israeli forces stormed a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian assist for the Palestinians that broke an Israeli blockade. The incident resulted within the deaths of 9 Turkish activists.
Relations broke down once more in 2018 when Turkey, angered by the U.S. transferring its embassy to Jerusalem, as soon as extra recalled its ambassador from Israel, prompting Israel to additionally recall its envoy. The 2 nations haven’t thus far reappointed ambassadors.
The steps towards a rapprochement with Israel comes as Turkey, beset by financial troubles, has been attempting to finish its worldwide isolation by normalizing its frayed ties with a number of nations of the area, together with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
In step one towards reconciliation, Erdogan referred to as Herzog by telephone after the Israeli head of state took workplace final 12 months and the 2 have held a number of phone conversations since then. Erdogan has additionally spoken to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett following the discharge of an Israeli couple who have been arrested in Istanbul on suspicion of spying.
Final week, Herzog visited Cyprus the place he issued reassurances that Israel’s warming relation with Turkey wouldn’t come on the expense of ties with Nicosia. Throughout a go to to Greece final month, Herzog made comparable remarks, insisting Israel would proceed to increase its cooperation with Greece and Cyprus, which each have tense relations with Turkey.
Israel’s ties with Greece and Cyprus blossomed following the invention of sizeable pure gasoline deposits in jap Mediterranean waters because the nations search for methods to construct on energy-based cooperation.
Turkey for its half has stated there can be no change to Ankara’s place towards the Palestinians regardless of the normalization efforts with Israel.