Israel's Foreign Ministry's Undersecretary Yuval Rotem visited Turkish capital Ankara as well as Istanbul for two days of bilateral talks between Israeli and Turkish officials, marking the visit as one by the highest ranking Israeli official to Turkey since 2010, amid aims to improve bilateral relations. Israel intends to normalize and enhance diplomatic relations between the two countries and strengthen economic, cultural and political ties, according to diplomatic sources. Arriving in Ankara Feb. 1, Rotem held bilateral discussions with his Turkish counterpart focused on evaluative talks aimed at strengthening ties in the fields of energy, the economy, culture and tourism, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
Turkey and Israel exchanged views on current issues in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean while agreeing that Turkish-Israeli relations are of high importance for maintaining stability and security in the region. Undersecretary Rotem also took to his personal Twitter account, where he tweeted about the importance of the Ankara-Istanbul visit, marking the first time in six years that Israel and Turkey have engaged in bilateral dialogue at this ministerial level, while also indicating his agreement to meet with his Turkish counterpart in Jerusalem.
Rotem also shared positive thoughts on Twitter regarding his Thursday visit to Istanbul where he met with Istanbul Governor Vasip on the second leg of his visit to Turkey, tweeting, "I appreciate our friendly, fruitful discussions."
Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avcı is expected to visit Israel from Feb. 7-8 as bilateral dialogue continues to move forward between the two countries, according to ministerial sources. Minister Avcı is expected to attend the ceremony launching a photo exhibit on Turkey-Israel relations organized by the Anadolu Agency (AA) and the Tel Aviv Cultural Center followed by a visit to Palestine, where he will visit the al-Aqsa Mosque where Palestinian statesman Yasser Arafat is buried accompanied by his Palestinian counterpart Minister Ihab Besisu. Minister Avcı is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of Jerusalem's historical photo exhibit.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, on the other hand, has condemned the Israeli government's recent approval of the construction of 3,000 additional units on illegal settlements in Palestinian territories.
"Despite constant warnings from the international community, Israel's continuation of acts aimed to threaten and destroy the basis for lasting peace are causing dismay," Çavuşoğlu said.
