New era in their relations.. Erdogan supports Israel in its claims

Following Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Turkey and the high reception he received from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prospect of cooperation is expected to transcend the economic and political sectors, to the core of the Israeli state’s long-held claim to Jerusalem.

An Israeli official confirmed that the Turkish state granted Israel the inscription Siloam, which is 2700 years old, pointing out that the inscription was found in the city of Jerusalem in 1880, during the Ottoman era, and was moved to Istanbul, according to the Times of Israel.

The inscription of Siloam is an invaluable treasure, and Israel has long sought after it, in order to base it on the biblical narrative of the reign of King Hezekiah in the late 800s and early 700 B.C.E., and this inscription is considered by Israel to be a sign of the ancient Jewish presence in Jerusalem.

The Israeli official clarified that this inscription, which is currently on display in the Istanbul Museum, will be soon on the outskirts of Israel, stressing that this historical inscription is evidence of the tunnel built by the king to Jerusalem.

He pointed out that this tunnel is considered a symbol of Israel’s relationship with Jerusalem, adding that his government will send an important historical religious artifact to Turkey.

The newspaper said Turkey had long insisted that the inscription was an Ottoman property and therefore owned by Ankara, but decided to hand it over to Israel after the latter offered to replace it with an ancient candle dating back to the Ottoman Empire, according to the Times of Israel.

The Israeli president visited Turkey and held a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan last Wednesday. He became the first Israeli president to do so since 2007, which Erdogan described as “historic” and a “turning point” in Turkish-Israeli relations.