Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

Erdoğan met with senior Israeli minister, Israeli media claims

by Daily Sabah

ISTANBUL Apr 20, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
No Image
by Daily Sabah Apr 20, 2016 12:00 am

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with a senior Israeli minister on the sidelines of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC, held between March 31 and April 1, according to a report on Tuesday from the Israel-based i24news TV channel.

According to i24news, Erdoğan met with Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz for about 20 minutes, marking the first time that the Turkish president has personally met with an Israeli official since the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident. Diplomatic sources described the meeting as "more than a handshake."

The Israeli minister's office did not comment on the meeting, reported i24news Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Tal Shalev.

Israeli energy minister Steinitz has promoted reconciliation talks between Turkey and Israel in recent months, as there are energy issues which concern both countries.

According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, Steinitz said on Saturday that Turkey and Israel have reached an agreement on 90 percent of issues during diplomatic negotiations in recent months which aim toward a reconciliation between the two countries.

On April 7, Turkish presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said that Turkey will not drop its demand for an end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip in order to normalize relations with Israel.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on April 7 that Turkish and Israeli delegations had made progress toward finalizing a deal. The ministry said Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Special Envoy Joseph Ciechanover and Acting Chairman-General Jacob Nagel of Israel's National Security Council met on April 7.

Sinirlioğlu met Israeli Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold in Rome in June 2015 in efforts to normalize diplomatic relations.

There has been concrete progress over the last couple of months towards restoring bilateral relations long-stalled since the Mavi Marmara raid in 2010. A DAESH-linked bombing on March 19 in Istanbul that killed three Israelis led to cooperation between the countries, with high-level contacts between leaders in Ankara and Jerusalem for the first time in years.

Turkish and Israeli officials first met openly in December 2015 and reached a preliminary agreement to normalize relations, including the mutual return of ambassadors, after Israel agreed to pay $20 million in compensation to the relatives of the victims of the Mavi Marmara raid. During a meeting held in early February 2016, Turkish and Israeli officials discussed easing rather than lifting the blockade of Gaza, which Ankara aims to begin rebuilding.

The latest diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Israel dates back to May 2010 when Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, a civilian vessel carrying humanitarian aid which was trying to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza, while it was in international waters.

The Israeli government took a step toward reconciliation on March 24, 2013, when Netanyahu, under the encouragement of U.S. President Barack Obama, apologized for the mishandling of the raid during a conference call with then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Since then, closed-door reconciliation talks have continued, but the agreement has been delayed due to local, general, presidential and early elections in Turkey, as well as Israel's attack on Gaza in 2014.

  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Apr 20, 2016 3:30 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    homepage
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Coffee, books and cats in ‘kıraathane’ in Turkey’s Bursa
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021