An 18-day virtual trade mission organized by the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce and Turkey’s Mediterranean Aquatic and Animal Products Exporters Association is coming to an end. The session began on Oct. 7 with the chamber's first virtual conference on promoting Israeli-Turkish commercial relations, focusing on the food and beverage sector.

"In general, but these days especially, we believe in thinking outside of the box to open as many new markets as possible, nationally and internationally. We must promote commerce, cooperation and business opportunities vis-à-vis our many friends, who — like us — are facing challenging coronavirus times," the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce announced on Facebook.

The organization encouraged Israeli producers, exporters and importers in fields such as fish, frozen seafood and meat to register for the event. The trade mission seems to have attracted a wide range of Israeli companies, including supermarkets, retailers, importers and manufacturers, all seeking the finest in Turkish food, beverages, fruits and vegetables. Dozens of one-to-one meetings took place, and hopes on both sides are high for developing tangible trade cooperation.

The Israeli-Turkish trade meetings and the possibilities they produced were highly unusual and should be celebrated. Relations between Ankara and Jerusalem have been strained ever since the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident. Later, Israel apologized for the killing of Turkish activists who were aboard the flotilla and compensated their families, but relations have hardly improved. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ramped up his anti-Israeli rhetoric, especially on the issue of Jerusalem.