The Turkish president, Recip Tayip Erdogan, on Monday (July 12) spoke on the phone with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog and discussed relations between the two countries as well as regional issues.
In a statement, the Turkish Communications Directorate said that Erdogan congratulated Herzog on his inauguration as president.
Erdogan said there is a high potential for co-operation between the two countries in various fields, particularly in energy, tourism and technology.
During their phone talk, he also said that the international community expects permanent and comprehensive two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict within the framework of U.N. resolutions.
The Turkish president said that positive steps to be taken for the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would also contribute to positive course of Turkey-Israel relations.
Relations between Turkey and Israel are of great importance for the security and stability of Middle East, he added.
This was the first high-level contact between Turkey and Israel in years. Relations between the two countries have been strained as a result of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians and Israel's perception of Turkish support for radical Palestinian groups.
