High-level Turkish delegation meets Israeli officials ahead of Herzog’s visit
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Israeli and Turkish officials discuss preparations for Israeli occupation president Isaac Herzog’s visit, bilateral ties, as well as various regional issues.
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High-level Turkish delegation meeting Israeli officials
A team of senior Turkish officials headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s chief foreign policy adviser and government spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin arrived in occupied Al-Quds, on Thursday, to meet with Israeli officials ahead of the Israeli occupation president Isaac Herzog’s planned trip to Ankara.
In a joint statement, Herzog’s office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: “The parties discussed preparations for the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkey, bilateral ties between the two countries, as well as various regional issues.”
“Turkey and 'Israel' have broad influence in the region, and both have agreed that the rehabilitation of relations can contribute to regional stability,” the statement added.
Herzog's trip is scheduled for March 9 and 10. The visit has been praised by Erdogan as an opportunity to "start a new chapter in Turkish-Israeli ties."
Turkey and “Israel” have been working on reconciliation in recent months, with Erdogan exchanging phone conversations with the occupation's president.
Meanwhile, Kalin met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah the day before their trip to Al-Quds.
According to the delegation, this reaffirms Turkey's commitment to the Palestinian cause and continuous support for the Palestinian people within the framework of a two-state solution.
In early December 2020, Al-Monitor published a report that exposed a secret channel of talks between "Israel" and Turkey with the aim of improving relations between them.
It is noteworthy that after a dispute that lasted for six years, due to the Israeli attack on the Turkish Freedom Fleet in May 2010, the two sides resumed normal relations in June 2016.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
