Turkey to separately host Israeli, Palestinian leaders next week

Ankara, July 21 (IANS) Turkey will separately host Israeli and Palestinian leaders next week, authorities have confirmed.

In a statement, the Turkish presidency said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrive on July 25 and meet his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reports Xinhua news agency.

The two leaders will discuss Turkey-Palestine relations and cooperation, the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and other regional and international issues, the statement said.

Erdogan will also host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 28, the Turkish presidency said.

The two sides will talk about their relations as well as the steps to improve cooperation, it said.

The relations between Israel and Turjey became strained in 2010 when a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip clashed with Israeli forces, leaving 10 Turks on board killed.

In 2018, the two countries expelled each other's top diplomats amid an argument over the Israeli killing of 60 Palestinians during their protests against the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

But the two nations have stepped up efforts to mend their ties in recent years.

In 2022, Israeli President Isaac Herzog made a rare visit to Turkey, which was seen as a major step towards normalising ties.