An Israeli passenger plane arrived in Turkey this evening, marking a first in Turkish-Israeli relations after a decade.
The Hebrew newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" announced this evening on its website that Turkish-Israeli relations are witnessing an event that has not occurred in ten years, noting that an Israeli passenger plane landed in Turkey today, Saturday, for the first time in a decade due to the deterioration of relations between the two countries, which goes back more than ten years. The newspaper's correspondent, Itay Blumenthal, tweeted on his official Twitter account this evening, stating that for the first time in ten years, an Israeli passenger plane has landed in Turkey, with the Israir Airlines Flight ATR72 arriving in Istanbul after noon today.
The Israeli media clarified that this is the first time in a decade that an Israeli passenger plane has been allowed to land in Turkey, due to restrictions imposed by security officials and the deterioration in relations between the two nations.
In the same context, "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported on Thursday that Turkish officials are angry about the conditions set by Israel to resume relations between the two sides, which included halting Hamas activities and closing its offices in Turkey. The newspaper noted that Turkey opposes Israel's request to close Hamas activities in Istanbul and Ankara, responding that there are no such activities related to Hamas's cyber attacks on Israel originating from its territory, and that these allegations are unfounded, with no secret Hamas cells in Turkey.
It is worth mentioning that Turkish President's foreign affairs advisor, Mesut Kasin, confirmed last December that relations between Israel and Turkey are on the verge of a significant breakthrough, adding that full diplomatic relations could resume by next March, recalling Turkey's ties with Israel and its military purchases from it. Kasin stated regarding ongoing talks with Israel: "If Israel takes one step, maybe Turkey can take two steps; if we see a green light, Turkey will reopen its embassy and we will send our ambassador back. Perhaps in March, we can restore full diplomatic relations again. Why not?"
Kasin also said, "Establishing peace and security is very important for Israel and Turkey. After the Mavi Marmara incident, we do not want another incident with Israel." He acknowledged Joe Biden's election as a boost to efforts to repair relations, stating, "There are new prospects with Biden, and many things will change." Kasin added that Israel has much to gain from normalization, noting, "Turkey has purchased a lot of weapons from Israel; we can arrange that again, and Turkish and Israeli defense industries can move forward together."
He further stated, "Secondly, regarding energy resources... they [Israel] are discovering oil and gas. Well! Israel has 8 million people; where can they sell this oil and gas? The largest market is Turkey, and Turkey will be the gateway to the European Union market."
