Israel president calls for closer cooperation with Turkey

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other regional leaders to cooperate for a better future in the region.

Speaking at the opening session of an exhibition named “Coffee: East and West” at the Museum of Islamic Arts in Jerusalem on Saturday,  Herzog said: “When leaders convene around a table for coffee, they can solve the differences and move on for a better future.”

Turkey’s Tel Aviv Embassy Culture and Promotion Counselor Selim Ozturk shared Herzog’s video message on his social media account.

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“Recently, I discussed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders in the region. I am sure that when we gather around a table with coffee, we can move our whole region to a better future with cultural and other cooperation,” Herzog said in his message.

On 14 July, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Israel’s new president to congratulate him on taking office.

During the call, Erdogan said he valued maintaining dialogue and said Turkish-Israeli relations were key for regional stability.

Turkey, for its part, has been an outspoken critic of Israel since the Gaza War in 2008. Relations worsened when Israeli commandos attacked a flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid and activists to Gaza, killing nine Turks. Another activist died of his wounds years later. The assault took place in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea.