Israel's President Herzog departs for critical trip to Turkey – first visit by an Israeli leader in 14 years
He said both nations will "try to restart our relations and build them in a measured and cautious manner, and with mutual respect between our states."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, with First Lady Michal Herzog, departed this morning for a state visit to Turkey at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The visit is part of a recent effort by both nations to restore what were once warmer ties. Herzog will be the first Israeli president to visit Turkey since 2007 and the first leader of the Jewish state since 2008.
“Israel-Turkey relations are important for Israel, important for Turkey, and important for the whole region. And for the first time in many years, there will be a visit to Turkey," Herzog noted right before he boarded a plane at Ben-Gurion International Airport. "Certainly at a time when the international order is being shaken, it is good and proper that stability and partnership be maintained in our region, and I emphasized this point during my visits to Greece and Cyprus in recent weeks and in my conversations with leaders."
Herzog admitted that disagreements will remain but he said both nations will "try to restart our relations and build them in a measured and cautious manner, and with mutual respect between our states."
Herzog also said he hopes his visit will spark "in-depth dialogue at various levels, and that ultimately we will see, so I hope, progress in our relations and positive results."
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
