President Isaac Herzog spoke Monday with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a sign of a possible rapprochement after years of frosty relations between the two former Mideast allies.
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Herzog's office said in a statement that during the conversation, which reportedly lasted 40 minutes, the two leaders stressed that "Israel-Turkey relations are of great significance for security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean" and that cooperation had great potential for both countries.
Israel and Turkey were once close regional partners, but relations between the two countries soured in 2010 following the fatal Marmara incident. The Turkish government in general and Erdogan, in particular, have since frequently criticized Israel's policies toward the Palestinians.
According to the Israeli President's Office's statement, Herzog and Erdogan said that "ongoing dialog despite all the differences of opinion" was important, particularly for advancing steps toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
Herzog took office on July 7. On Saturday he spoke with Jordan's King Abdullah after Israel and Jordan agreed to initiate negotiations for the sale of water to the Hashemite kingdom.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has put mending strained relations with Jordan as a top priority of the newly instated government.
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