Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in Ankara on Wednesday in a historic first visit by an Israeli leader to Turkey since 2008 as the two rivals aim to overcome years of hostility with each other.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan invited Herzog in January and said the two leaders would review the aspects of bilateral relations in their talks. The pair are expected to discuss cooperation in multiple fields, which includes the energy sectors.
Erdogan has previously said that Turkey may import Israeli natural gas or become part of a network that routes gas to Europe.
Speaking with reporters at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, Herzog said, “We will not agree on everything, and the relationship between Israel and Turkey has certainly known ups and downs and not-so-simple moments in recent years.”
He added that the two countries would try to restart their relations and construct them in a measured way with mutual respect.
Diplomatic ties between Turkey and Israel took a turn for the worse in 2018 as Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador over the killing of 60 Palestinians by Israeli forces in violent protests on the Gaza border. The two countries have also traded barbs over the Israeli occupation of Palestinian regions and Ankara’s support to the militant group Hamas.
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