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Erdogan: "President Herzog May Visit Turkey" Israel today

2022-01-18T18:48:39.707Z


Turkish president says he is working to develop ties with Israel • His statement expresses the dual language the Turkish president has used towards Israel recently • Last week he consoled Herzog on the death of his mother • But less than a month ago he chose an anti-Israel picture as his "picture of the year"


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today (Tuesday) that he is working to develop ties with Israel and that President Yitzhak Herzog may pay a visit to Turkey in the near future.

Recall that only last week Erdogan called President Herzog and comforted him over the death of his mother.

"We are in talks with our Israeli partners and President Herzog may visit Turkey in the near future," the Turkish president was quoted as saying by the state news agency Andulo.

"We intend to bring about positive developments for cooperation with Israel in the economic field in the Mediterranean," the Turkish president added.

President Herzog (Archive), Photo: Ohad Zweigenberg

Sources in the political system estimate that the words of the Turkish president will eventually lead to a meeting between him and President Herzog.

No date has yet been set for the meeting but it looks like it will take place in the near future, in the weeks or months to come.

It should be noted that Erdogan has spoken with Herzog three times in the six months that have passed since taking office as president.

In the first conversation, Erdogan congratulated him on choosing him.

The second conversation took place as part of the efforts to release the Oknin couple who were arrested in vain in Turkey.

Another conversation took place last week, in which Erdogan called to comfort the president over the death of his mother, Mrs. Ora Herzog.

In addition, Aduran sent Herzog a letter of condolence.

Israel emphasizes that even if there is an improvement in relations with Turkey, this will not come at the expense of the alliance with the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece and Cyprus.

In the last decade, close cooperation ties have been established between Israel and the two countries, of which Turkey is the historical rival.

Jerusalem is aware of the concerns of Athens and Nicosia about the rapprochement between Israel and Turkey and therefore clarifies what the priorities are.

Conflicting messages from the Turkish president

The warm words come less than a month after the Turkish president chose a picture showing Israeli soldiers carrying a Palestinian child as his "picture of the year" for a leading magazine in Turkey, in a move that expresses the dual language the Turkish president uses towards Israel.

Senior Turkish government officials reported late last year that Erdogan was the one who facilitated the release of the rebels and Natalie Okunin, who were being held in custody in the country after photographing the president's palace from a restaurant in Istanbul.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid even thanked the Turkish president following their release and after the incident Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Erdogan for the first time.

Things are coming in November Erdogan said during a press conference that he intends to improve relations with Israel and Egypt, as his country has done in recent weeks with the United Arab Emirates.

"As for the steps we have taken vis-à-vis the United Arab Emirates, we have not hesitated to take similar steps vis-à-vis other countries such as Israel and Egypt," the president said in response to a reporter's question at a news conference.

As you may recall, Ankara and Abu Dhabi signed a multi-billion dollar investment agreement as part of the rapprochement between the regimes, which backed away in the wake of Erdogan's refusal to stay away from Iran and certain rebel factions in Syria.

Erdogan's conduct has also alienated other moderate Sunni states such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Last year, the Erdogan regime launched a courtship attack on Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but these measures did not lead to a real rapprochement in relations between the two countries.

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Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2022-01-18

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