What Netanyahu’s return means for Israel-Turkey ties
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a congratulatory message to incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, signaling that nascent cooperation between the two countries would profit the region.
In an apparent olive branch to Israel’s incoming government, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a congratulatory message to Benjamin Netanyahu, his former foe, for his electoral victory.
"I congratulate you on your victory in the elections and believe that the new government will continue the cooperation between the countries in all fields, in a way that will bring peace and stability to our region," Erdogan wrote, according to a statement from Netanyahu's spokesman Thursday.
The move comes after both Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu signaled that Turkey is ready to maintain relations with Israel’s incoming government provided that the Palestinians' rights and Jerusalem's status are respected. Yet experts express caution over the future of bilateral ties in the aftermath of the Israeli elections.
Cavusoglu, speaking at the parliament for his ministry’s annual budget, pointed out that Turkey and Israel had already restored full diplomatic ties by naming ambassadors and realized high-level visits. “The rights of our Palestinian brothers and the status of Jerusalem are important factors within this relationship. We are ready to advance the normalization process with the new government based on these factors,” Cavusoglu said.
