(Photo Credit: Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Israel’s foreign minister in Ankara, where Eli Cohen expressed Jerusalem’s support for the victims of last week's earthquakes. Cohen noted that the bilateral relations are important for the stability of the region. He added, "Friends are measured in times of trouble. At this difficult time, Israel is reaching out and expressing solidarity with the Turkish people." Before meeting with Erdogan, Cohen met in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The last such meeting took place five months ago, when then-Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with Erdogan in New York, at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Israel's new ambassador to Turkey Irit Lillian presented her credentials to Erdogan Dec. 27, officially ending more than a decade of sour bilateral relations. Relations started deteriorating in 2010 after the Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza, where nine Turkish nationals were killed by IDF fire, and continued deteriorating over Erdogan's pro-Palestinian anti-Israel stances. That has changed some two years ago, leading to reconciliation between Ankara and Jerusalem.
At the meeting, Cohen conveyed condolences on behalf of the Israeli government and people, and promised Israel would continue providing humanitarian aid to disaster-stricken areas.
Cohen noted that the bilateral relations are important for the stability of the region. He added, "Friends are measured in times of trouble. At this difficult time, Israel is reaching out and expressing solidarity with the Turkish people."
Before meeting with Erdogan, Cohen met in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Cavusoglu, Cohen noted that Israel was among the first nations to send rescue teams to Turkey, dispatching than 450 specialists immediately after the earthquake to save lives. "We have brought hundreds of tons of medical equipment and humanitarian aid and built a field hospital to attend those who need medical treatment," added Cohen.
At the meeting, Cohen and Cavusoglu also discussed the resumption of direct flights between the two countries by Israeli airlines. Cohen announced that the first such flight is scheduled to depart on Thursday.
The new government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to continue the rapprochement between Jerusalem and Ankara reached under the previous government. Erdogan also made it clear after the Nov. 1 elections that he wishes to continue deepening bilateral relations.
However, on Monday, Ankara joined the US State Department and the European Union in condemning Jerusalem over its plans to regularize nine illegal West Bank outposts and promote the construction of thousands of new homes in West Bank settlements.
