A spokesperson for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party stated on Wednesday that Turkey and Israel have agreed to work toward improving their strained relations following a rare phone call between the two countries' presidents. The nations expelled each other's ambassadors in 2018 after a bitter dispute. Ankara condemned Israel's occupation of the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians, while Israel urged Turkey to stop supporting the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) that governs Gaza. Each side demands the other to take the first step towards any rapprochement.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan contacted newly elected Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday to congratulate him on taking office, a position that is largely ceremonial in Israel.
Justice and Development Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik mentioned after a party meeting, “A framework has been formed after this call, under which progress should be made on various issues that can be improved and steps taken towards resolving areas of disagreement.” Çelik highlighted the Palestinian issue as one area that Turkey wants to discuss with Israel, adding that other areas such as tourism and trade should be “mutually beneficial.” Despite the political disagreements, trade between the two countries has remained strong.
