Disclosure:
Even before the Oknin couple's arrest - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's advisers tried in the months leading up to the Akunin couple's release to coordinate meetings between him and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
This is what Israel Today learned from sources in the political system.
Officials on behalf of the Turkish president met several times with senior Israeli representatives in the United States, the rest raised the possibility of a meeting between the leaders. Attempts to coordinate a meeting between the two took place ahead of the UN General Assembly held in September in New York.
They did not materialize due to schedule gaps between the two leaders.
Prime Minister Bennett and Foreign Minister Lapid in conversation with the Oknin couple / Photo: Omar Miron / GPO
Another Turkish request for the two to meet was a few weeks ago, when advisers to the Turkish president suggested that the two meet on the sidelines of a climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Israeli side did not want to respond in the negative to Turkish inquiries, so they used diplomatic excuses to avoid a meeting that was inconsistent with the Israeli interest.
Referrals from Erdogan's office follow on from previous reports of contacts between Israeli and Turkish elements, as part of an attempt to heat up relations as reported in "Israel Today".
Turkey has been in a bad international situation for several years.
Its relations with the United States have run aground, and it is under constant tension with the European Union, which has rejected its application for membership. At the same time, Turkey's diplomatic ties with Israel have been at a standstill for many years. Received sponsorship to operate in Turkey and the Turkish leader often attacks Israel and its leaders in blunt words.