Israel-Turkey relations: Lobby to meet Erdogan at UN General Assembly

Jerusalem, September 17, 2022 (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday as relations between the two countries have warmed in recent months. His office.

Labit is scheduled to fly to New York on Monday evening, where he is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said.

Mr. His meeting with Erdogan is scheduled for Tuesday, a source said on condition of anonymity, without giving further details.

After months of diplomatic warming, Israel and Turkey announced on August 17 the full restoration of their bilateral ties and the return of ambassadors to both countries.

Relations between the two countries have been strained since a deadly 2010 attack by Israeli forces on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship trying to deliver aid to Gaza, a Palestinian enclave under Israeli blockade and under the Islamist control of Hamas.

In early September, a Turkish warship docked in Israel for the first time since 2010, following the resumption of ties between the two countries.

An ardent defender of the Palestine issue, Mr. Erdogan has criticized Israeli policies against the Palestinians in the past.

But less than a year from presidential elections scheduled for mid-June 2023, he is stepping up efforts to normalize ties with several regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in search of investment and tourism manna.