|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-and-turkey-inch-closer-together-but-bombing-wont-restore-ties/
The Istanbul Attack and Turkey-Israel Relations
(Times of Israel) Raphael Ahren - Will Saturday's terror attack in Istanbul lead to an improvement in ties between Turkey and Israel? The coordination between Israeli and Turkish officials dealing with the immediate aftermath of the attack was excellent. "The Health Ministry, Prime Minister's Office, the hospitals - even the funeral homes were amazing," said Israeli diplomat Shira Ben Tzion who was in charge of Israel's Istanbul consulate. "We are used to hostility on the streets," she told Yediot Ahronot, "but in this case, from the moment we said we're from the Israeli Consulate, they embraced us straight away and treated us nicely." On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a letter of condolence from his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. A week earlier, Netanyahu had condemned a large-scale terror attack in Ankara. On Saturday night, Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold aborted a trip to Washington and instead made his way to Istanbul. His arrival on Sunday marked the highest-level visit to Turkey from an Israeli official since the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident.