Foreign Minister Eli Cohen landed in Turkey on Tuesday morning for a one-day solidarity visit in the wake of the deadly earthquake, the ministry announced.
In a possible sign of Ankara’s appreciation for Israel’s rescue efforts, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to meet with Cohen, even as he combats growing resentment over government policies on building codes and corruption before the earthquake. Scrambling to do.
Erdogan has also faced criticism over the speed and effectiveness of the government’s response to the disaster.
Israel’s top diplomat will also meet his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu during the visit and visit Israel’s field hospital set up in the country.
Upon landing, Cohen said he would express “the condolences of the people of Israel” to Erdogan and Cavusoglu.
“Israel stands with Turkey in this difficult time, and will continue to assist it by providing our military activities and humanitarian supplies,” he added.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen speaks during a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on Jan. 2, 2023; Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks to the media during a press conference in Istanbul on November 3, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90; AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Cohen was received at the airport in Ankara by Regional Deputy Governor Murat Soylu.
Israel kept the trip a secret until Cohen landed for security reasons. A delegation of the United Hatzalah Emergency Response Organization visits Turkey cut short Its mission and security concerns quickly returned to Israel.
Their representatives said on Saturday the Austrian military and German civilian rescuers suspended their search operation in Turkey, near Hatay, because of the deteriorating security situation.
Cohen spoke with Cavusoglu during his first week as foreign minister, when Turkish officials called in early January to express concern over a visit to the Temple Mount a day earlier by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir.
“We find Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s provocative actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque unacceptable,” Cavusoglu’s office quoted him as telling Cohen.
Following Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s election victory in November, Erdogan and Netanyahu had a very positive phone call, sources told The Times of Israel, with both leaders pledging not to surprise the other.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a survivor speaking visit an earthquake-ravaged city center in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, February 8, 2023. (Turkish President via AP)
President Isaac Herzog called Erdogan expressed Israel’s condolences on the damage caused by last week’s deadly earthquakes in Turkey.
According to Israeli officials, Israel’s field hospitals have so far treated 412 people injured in the earthquake. It will continue to operate until at least the end of the week.
In addition, Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command teams – which also included some Magen David Adom paramedics and Fire and Rescue Service officers – managed to rescue 19 civilians from the rubble in southeastern Turkey. idf team Landed Back in Israel on Monday.
People stand on top of the rubble of collapsed buildings during rescue operations after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked the Turkey-Syria border region last week in Hatay, Turkey. (Bulent Kilic/AFP)
In August last year, Israel and Turkey announced a full renewal of diplomatic relations. More than four years ago, Turkey recalled its ambassador and asked the Israeli envoy to leave in protest of Israel’s response to riots on the Gaza border that left dozens of Palestinians dead.
Faced with a harsh diplomatic isolation and economic crisis, Erdogan began publicly demonstrating openness to reconciliation in December 2020.
Cohen is also expected to visit Kiev in the near future.
