Netanyahu woos Erdogan with letter
Ahead of second Gaza flotilla, PM sends letter to Turkish counterpart congratulating him on third term, describing wish to 'renew cooperation, friendship that characterized relations between two peoples for so long'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a letter to Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulating him for a recent reelection to his third term, news agencies in Turkey reported Tuesday.
Netanyahu wrote that he hopes relations between the two states improve. "My government would love to work with the new Turkish government, with the aim of finding a solution to all the issues shared by both states," he wrote.
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"The goal will be to renew the cooperation and friendship that characterized relations between the two peoples for so many generations."
Netanyahu said during a visit to Italy last week that he would like to renew the recently deteriorated relations with Turkey.
Political sources in Jerusalem said later Tuesday that regional changes have created a chance at improving relations with Turkey. President Shimon Peres also supports such a move, but so far no official meetings have been called.
There were also unconfirmed reports Tuesday night that Defense Minister Ehud Barak would meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in Paris.
The US also commended the possible improvement, with the State Department on Tuesday encouraging the two states to talk and stating that the US had stressed to flotilla organizers that any attempt to break the naval blockade on Gaza would be considered a "provocation".
Reports of the letter come ahead of a second flotilla to Gaza. The first flotilla, which took place May 31 of last year, ended with a calamitous IDF raid on the Mavi Marmara, which killed nine Turks and severely harmed relations between the two states.
During a press conference in Rome, Netanyahu said that Israel did not decide to put a damper on the relations with Istanbul and that Jerusalem wishes to rectify matters. We don’t want a tense relationship, he said.
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