Economic and industrial ties between Turkey and Israel could be further built upon through clean technologies, eco-mobility and innovation, Irit Lillian, the charge d'affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Turkey, told Anadolu Agency (AA) in an interview.
Lillian's statements came ahead of the EcoMotion Week 2022 exhibition and conference being held in Tel Aviv this week, in which a delegation of approximately 10 Turkish companies is set to participate.
With a focus on sophisticated, high-tech products, the conference offers participants the opportunity to showcase what they have to offer, including Turkish, Israeli and international companies, she noted.
Trade between Turkey and Israel has been surging over the past five years, hitting a record $8.4 billion (TL 126.4 billion) last year, according to official data, up from $6.2 billion in 2020.
Exports to Israel leaped more than 35% year-over-year to $6.4 billion last year, an all-time high, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). Imports jumped nearly 37% to $2.1 billion.
Trade between the countries has typically flourished in the low-tech, textile, food and chemical industries.
Israel is the ninth-biggest export destination for Turkey, the official also noted, advocating that bilateral trade be extended to research and development in the face of climate change.
She said clean technologies, eco-mobility and innovation are areas that offer valuable potential in changing the nature of economic ties.
Lillian said she sees Turkey as "a very interesting market" as it is a huge industrial product hub for mobility in terms of people, vehicles and products.
"Drones, in that sense, are a new field in everyday life and Turkey is a very important manufacturer of drones," she said.
"The whole world is changing, and in this change, there is potential for a new kind of cooperation," she concluded.
The Turkish delegation participating in the EcoMotion 2022 exhibition marks the second economic delegation visiting Israel since March.
A delegation from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), along with representatives from about 100 Turkish companies, visited Israel in March to establish a new period of bilateral economic relations.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also visited Turkey on March 9-10, marking a historic milestone in warming relations with Turkey, with the first visit by an Israeli head of state in many years.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the "historic visit" by the Israeli president to Turkey aimed to revive bilateral political dialogue based on common interests between the two nations.
Ahead of the visit, Turkish and Israeli trade missions gathered in Tel Aviv to sign a memorandum of understanding to boost cooperation.
“With the synergy and positive atmosphere spurred by Herzog’s visit to Turkey, we want both countries to provide the opportunity for mutual economic growth,” TIM head Ismail Gülle told AA at the time.
Lillian said a similar delegation of business representatives from Israel is also planning a visit to Turkey.
The moves come amid Turkey’s efforts to repair frayed relations with several countries in the region, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
