Ramadan 2022: Turkey's Erdogan says Palestinians must enter Israel during holy month

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also stresses shared energy interests between two Turkey and Israel

Israeli President Isaac Herzog (L) and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan met in Ankara in early March. AFP

Tim Kiek

Apr 01, 2022

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday told his Israeli counterpart Palestinians must be allowed to enter Israel during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

In a phone call with President Isaac Herzog, President Erdogan also welcomed recent Israeli and Palestinian statements calling for easing tensions.

Tensions have eased in recent months between Turkey and Israel, too, with energy a conciliatory force.

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President Erdogan told President Herzog that synergy in the field of energy was mutually beneficial for their countries and that he hoped the momentum built in recent talks would continue, his office said.

Mr Herzog visited Turkey last month for talks with Mr Erdogan, and the Turkish leader has said he will send his foreign and energy ministers to Israel for talks.

Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group which runs Gaza, and other issues.

Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel.

On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he will visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in mid-May and discuss the appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.