President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday raised the prospect of a visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Türkiye in October or November, adding that he would reciprocate the visit.
"The Turkish Foreign Ministry continues to work on the visit date. I think Netanyahu's visit to Türkiye ... could happen in October or November," Erdoğan told reporters on a flight back after a visit to the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan.
Erdoğan and Netanyahu met for the first time in person last week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting marked a milestone as the two countries have been working to repair relations long strained by disputes over policies toward the Palestinians.
A visit to Türkiye by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in March 2022, followed by visits by both foreign ministers, helped the thaw, but a planned visit by Netanyahu in July was postponed due to the Israeli premier's health issues.
Following the General Assembly, Erdoğan said Israel and Türkiye would soon begin taking joint steps in energy drilling, adding the two countries would also operate energy networks to Europe through Türkiye.
The meeting in New York was primarily focused on energy cooperation, which Erdoğan said would ramp up after mutual visits.
"As Türkiye and Israel, we cooperate in many areas," he told reporters on Monday. "It is a fact that there are new areas of cooperation. Europe is especially searching for sustainable energy sources with the influence of the conjuncture after the Russia-Ukraine war.
"It is known to everyone that Israel is seeking to transport its resources to Europe. The most rational route is to deliver these resources to Europe via Türkiye," Erdoğan added.
He said authorities were instructed to conduct technical studies on cooperation in drilling operations. Details and time frame are planned to be finalized as soon as possible, he noted.
"In the near future, during meetings in Türkiye and Israel, we will clarify details such as the route, schedule and drilling areas," he added.
