In a significant diplomatic development, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in person for the first time during the annual high-level United Nations General Assembly. This historic meeting represents a milestone in the slow but steady improvement of bilateral ties, which had been strained by disagreements over policies related to the Palestinian issue.
Following their talks, the leaders agreed to visit each other’s countries in the near future, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
There have been reports from Israel’s Channel 12 TV suggesting that Erdogan might consider marking the 100th anniversary of the Turkish republic next month with a pilgrimage to a prominent Jerusalem mosque. However, this has not been officially confirmed.
The relationship between Turkey and Israel deteriorated significantly after a 2010 incident in which Israeli forces killed 10 Turkish citizens on a pro-Palestinian activist ship attempting to breach Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is governed by the Hamas Islamist group, recognized as a terrorist organization in the West.
In response to the incident, Ankara expelled the Israeli ambassador, a move that was partially reversed in 2016 but later repeated in 2018 following the killing of dozens of Palestinians during violent protests at the Gaza border. Israel, in turn, expelled Turkey’s envoy. The relationship remained strained for several years.
The recent thaw in relations can be attributed to a visit to Turkey by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in March 2022, followed by visits by both countries’ foreign ministers.
During their meeting, Erdogan and Netanyahu discussed a range of topics, including political, economic, and regional issues, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as reported by the Turkish Presidency on the social media platform X.
Erdogan expressed the belief that Turkey and Israel can collaborate in various fields, such as energy, technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, and cyber security, further highlighting the potential for cooperation between the two nations. This meeting signifies a positive step toward rebuilding diplomatic ties and fostering bilateral cooperation.
