First in a decade.. Israel’s defense minister holds talks in Turkey, led by Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting with Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz at the presidential palace, in the first such talks in a decade.

For the first time in more than a decade, an Israeli defense minister held meetings in Turkey, according to a statement from the Israeli Defense Minister’s Office, confirming that Gantz will meet in Ankara, Thursday, with Erdogan after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart.

“In this context, Minister Gantz will restore the channels of defense cooperation between the two countries,” the Israeli Defense Minister’s office said.

According to the statement, Gantz will begin his presence in Turkey by visiting the shrine of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He indicated that he will be received at an official ceremony at the Turkish Ministry of Defense headquarters before holding a meeting alone with his Turkish counterpart. He will conclude his visit with a press conference with his Turkish counterpart.

A new step

The Times of Israel says the meeting marks another step in a year-long process that has seen the two countries slowly return to full diplomatic relations after more than a decade of strained ties.

The visit comes two months after Dror Shalom, who heads the ministry’s political and military bureau, met with officials from the Turkish Defense Ministry to “renew the security ties between the two countries” a decade later.

An Israeli Defense Ministry official told Walla news website that the trip would likely not see any arms deals signed between the two sides.

For the first time in a decade, a Turkish warship docked in an Israeli port last month, while Prime Minister Yair Lapid met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, marking the first such meeting between an Israeli prime minister and a Turkish president since 2008.