ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he is optimistic that upcoming negotiations between Israel and Turkey aimed at normalizing ties between the two nations “will produce positive results.”
“We have always wanted correct relations with Turkey and it wasn’t us who changed the direction of the relations,” Netanyahu told a press conference on Wednesday. “If possible, we would like to normalize ties.”
His remarks came after Israeli President Reuven Rivlin spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan via telephone. In that five-minute conversation Erdogan said that he believes “that against this terrorism we [Turkey and Israel] have to stand together with the international community and take a very, very firm stance, and increase our cooperation against all terrorist acts. In this regard we are ready to cooperate with Israel against terrorism.”
The call came after three Israelis were killed in a bomb attack in Istanbul. Rivlin thanked Erdogan for the repatriation of the remains of those Israelis.
Relations between Israel and Turkey broke down after an Israeli commando raid on a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, attempting to break an Israeli blockade on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip back in May 2010. An incident which left 10 Turks dead.
“We have always wanted correct relations with Turkey and it wasn’t us who changed the direction of the relations,” Netanyahu told a press conference on Wednesday. “If possible, we would like to normalize ties.”
His remarks came after Israeli President Reuven Rivlin spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan via telephone. In that five-minute conversation Erdogan said that he believes “that against this terrorism we [Turkey and Israel] have to stand together with the international community and take a very, very firm stance, and increase our cooperation against all terrorist acts. In this regard we are ready to cooperate with Israel against terrorism.”
The call came after three Israelis were killed in a bomb attack in Istanbul. Rivlin thanked Erdogan for the repatriation of the remains of those Israelis.
Relations between Israel and Turkey broke down after an Israeli commando raid on a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, attempting to break an Israeli blockade on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip back in May 2010. An incident which left 10 Turks dead.
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