- Turkish President Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu met for the first time in person during the UN General Assembly, escalating diplomatic ties.
- Both leaders discussed potential cooperation in energy, technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, with energy cooperation emerging as a key focus.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened in person for the first time on Tuesday, furthering their diplomatic ties. This relationship had previously been strained due to the Palestinian cause. During their meeting at the annual high-level United Nations General Assembly, both leaders expressed their intent to visit each other’s nations in the near future, as stated by Netanyahu’s office.
There were reports from Israel’s prominent Channel 12 TV suggesting that Erdogan might consider commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic with a visit to a significant mosque in Jerusalem next month, although there was no official confirmation of this proposal. The rift between these former allies originated in 2010 when Israeli forces killed ten Turkish citizens during an incident involving a pro-Palestinian activist ship attempting to breach the Gaza Strip blockade, which is governed by the Hamas Islamist group, prohibited in the West.
Subsequently, Ankara expelled the Israeli ambassador, a move that was later reversed in 2016 but repeated two years later following the deaths of numerous Palestinians involved in violent protests along the Gaza border. In response, Israel expelled Turkey’s envoy in 2018, given its discontent with Turkey hosting Hamas leaders. The process of both nations wanting to reconcile gained momentum with Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Turkey in March 2022, followed by visits from both countries’ foreign ministers.
During their meeting, Erdogan and Netanyahu engaged in discussions encompassing political, economic, and regional matters, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as conveyed by the Turkish Presidency on the social media platform X. Erdogan emphasized the potential for collaboration between the two nations in areas such as energy, technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Energy emerged as a prominent focal point for potential cooperation.
Turkey initiated diplomatic efforts in 2020 to mend relations with estranged partners, extending olive branches to Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and, notably, Israel, in pursuit of regional stability and cooperation.
“In the meeting, opportunities for energy cooperation primarily in areas like natural gas exploration, production and trade were discussed,” said Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, who participated.
May we be graced with courageous and impactful Muslim leaders who steadfastly remember the enduring plight of the Palestinians….Ameen!
