Turkey has begun supplying masks and other protective equipment, including gloves, to Israel, the Bloomberg news agency reported Friday.
An acquisition of this type requires approval from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which was received, with the proviso that Israel allow Turkey to send a separate shipment of similar equipment to the Palestinian Authority, a high-ranking Turkish official told Bloomberg.
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The decision to assist Israel with its equipment shortages comprises a significant step by Erdogan that could indicate that relations between Ankara and Jerusalem, which have been tense for years, are thawing.
According to the report, three Israeli cargo planes landed at an air force base in southern Turkey on Thursday to load the shipment.
Meanwhile, MK Ahmad Tibi expressed his thanks to Erdogan on Wednesday for his help in flying Arab Israeli students stranded in Turkey home.
According to Turkey's Anadolu news agency, a Turkish Airlines flight carried 110 students home on Tuesday, the last flight to enter Israeli airspace before air traffic was shut down.
Tibi praised Erdogan's "kind human gesture."
