Turkey, 'Israel' negotiate gas transportation to Europe: Spokesperson

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Turkish Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said on Friday that Turkey and the Israeli occupation have been negotiating the transportation of gas to the European Union, with the two sides' delegations scheduled to hold a meeting on the issue in October. 

Gas from the Eastern Mediterranean could become an alternative to Russian supplies for the EU, Kalin said in May, adding that Ankara was ready to be part of this process.

"These negotiations [between Turkey and the Israeli occupation] are underway, as far as I know, the next meeting will be held in October," Kalin told reporters when asked the relevant question.

The EU has long been looking for alternatives for Russian natural gas as it has pledged to end dependence on Russian energy supplies following the war in Ukraine.

The bloc has already approved seven packages of sanctions against Moscow, including a gradual phase-out of Russian oil.

"Israel" infringing on Lebanon's rights

This comes as the Israeli occupation and Lebanon are having indirect negotiations over the demarcation of the maritime border under US mediation.

"Israel" has already set up a rig in the disputed Karish gas field in an attempt to extract gas, completely infringing on Lebanon's rights, amid an energy crisis in Europe.

But Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had warned that "if Lebanon does not obtain the rights demanded by the Lebanese state, we are heading toward an escalation whether or not the nuclear agreement is signed."

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that "the focus in Lebanon must be on Karish and the Lebanese [maritime] border, as well as the US mediator that is still wasting time amid a time constraint."

On August 9, the Lebanese leader warned that any attempt to plunder any of Lebanon's wealth will be thwarted, indicating that the party is waiting for the Israeli enemy's response to Lebanon's demands regarding border demarcation.

Read more: EU may approve more sanctions against Russia in October

Erdogan ignores Palestine, discusses restoring ties with Lapid

Kalin's remarks come after Israeli occupation Prime Minister Yair Lapid met Tuesday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, rooting for the restoration of ties between "Tel Aviv" and Ankara.

The meeting came just over a month after the two had a phone call and agreed to move forward with the full restoration of ties.

Lapid hailed the elevation of both Turkish and Israeli envoys, which have until now been at the level of chargé d’affaires, according to a statement from his office.

He specifically highlighted the appointment of "Israel’s" chargé d'affaires Irit Lilian as ambassador to Ankara, his office said. Turkey has yet to announce who will serve as its ambassador in "Tel Aviv".

While disregarding the recent Israeli aggression and daily attacks on Palestinians, Lapid and Erdogan’s discussions focused on security in "Israel" and abroad, the occupation's Prime Minister's office said.

Israeli flights to Turkey, which had been halted, have recently resumed. According to Lapid's office, this development would "enhance tourism" for both parties.

Erdogan to visit "Israel"

It is noteworthy that Erdogan told on Monday a group of Jewish leaders in New York that he plans to visit "Israel". He also shared his view that "antisemitism is a crime against humanity."

Erdogan hasn’t visited "Israel" since 2005 when he was still Turkey's Prime Minister.

The Turkish President pointed to alleged hate crimes against Israelis but gave no regard to the continuous Israeli crimes against Palestinians committed by the IOF and illegal Israeli settlers.

Relations between Ankara and "Tel Aviv" had reached their lowest level after Israeli occupation commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara ship that was carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in 2010, which led to the death of nine Turks.

After a reconciliation deal in 2016, tensions escalated again between the two sides when both exchanged withdrawing ambassadors in 2018 over the IOF killing Palestinian protesters in Gaza and after the US moved its embassy to occupied Al-Quds.

However, in recent months, Israeli-Turkish relations have been warming up. In March, Israeli occupation President Isaac Herzog visited Ankara and met Erdogan, and in August, Turkey and "Israel" agreed to mutually reappoint ambassadors and restore full diplomatic ties.

Marking another step in the rapprochement between the two sides, a Turkish warship docked in early September in the Haifa port in occupied Palestine as part of a mission for NATO forces in the region, for the first time in 12 years.