Erdogan says Turkey, Israel can work on gas amid push to mend ties -media

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference following a NATO summit, in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

ANKARA, March 25 (Reuters) – Natural gas cooperation is among the most important steps Turkey and Israel can take amid a bid to repair ties and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett could visit Turkey, President Tayyip Erdogan was cited as saying on Friday.

Earlier in March, Erdogan said he believed Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Turkey would be a turning point in long-strained relations between the regional powers, and that Ankara was ready for cooperate in the energy sector. read more

“In this process, Israeli Prime Minister Bennett may come as well. With his arrival too, there may be a chance to start a new era in Turkey-Israel ties,” Erdogan told reporters on a return flight from a NATO summit in Brussels.

“One of the most important steps we can take together for bilateral ties, I believe, would be natural gas,” he added, and said details of the cooperation would be discussed later during a visit by his foreign and energy ministers to Israel.

Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jonathan Spicer

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.