The first face-to-face meetings between the leaders of the US ally countries since 2008 took place between Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday outside the UN General Assembly, according to Lapid’s office.
Relations between Israel and Turkey, which had previously been chilly due to disagreements over the Palestinian cause, have thawed up recently, with energy cooperation emerging as a major area of convergence. New ambassadors are anticipated to be exchanged soon.
In addition to talking about energy, Lapid thanked Erdogan for the two countries’ intelligence-sharing and brought to light Israel’s demand for the return of four of its citizens, including two soldiers, who have been missing in the Gaza Strip since a 2014 war, according to Lapid’s office.
The Hamas movement, which governs Gaza and is mostly considered as a terrorist organization in the West, has been hosted by NATO member Turkey. In efforts to restore ties with Israel, that relationship has often proven to be a problem.
Ankara, on the other hand, was shocked by the 2010 killing of 10 Turkish activists in fights that broke out after Israeli marines seized a ship attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza.
