What’s new about Israeli President Erdogan’s Ankara meeting? Hebrew newspaper answers
The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz reports on Israeli-Turkish relations and on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent efforts to strengthen ties between Turkey and Israel, including a public invitation to the Israeli president last week to visit Ankara.
The report’s author, Jonathan Lees, says: “President Herzog has not yet responded to Erdogan’s invitation to visit Ankara next month”, he said. “This is a step that is due to Israel’s suspicion of Turkey’s recent efforts to warm up relations between the two countries”.
Al-Arabiya reported that Tel Aviv sees the expected meeting between Herzog and Erdogan in Ankara as “an opportunity to move relations from their standstill between Turkey and Israel”. Haaretz quoted an Israeli official as saying: “The meeting expected in February will be an indication of the intentions of the Turkish president”.
From “Frozen” to “Cold”
Another official told Haaretz that Israel is considering upgrading relations with Turkey from “frozen” to “cold,” revealing that “all kinds of symbolic things may happen, such as the exchange of ambassadors or the conclusion of economic agreements, but we will not proceed without clear steps in return with Turkey”.
He pointed out that some of the steps taken by Erdogan recently show his seriousness, including the release of an Israeli couple who was arrested on charges of espionage last year, and the Turkish President’s attempts to limit the activities of Hamas in his
Terrorism and Hamas
Al Arabiya quoted Israeli officials as telling Haaretz: “Erdogan is sending very positive signals in the fight against terrorism and in his steps towards Hamas in Turkey”, he said, stressing that “Israel sees the movement’s activities in this country as one of the biggest obstacles to improving bilateral relations”.
The Turkish President said in an interview on the private n-tv television network on January 26 that the visit of his Israeli counterpart “could open a new chapter in the relations between Turkey and Israel”, stressing that he is “ready to take steps towards Tel Aviv in all fields”.
