Türkiye, Israel enter new era on defense ties, security

ANKARA

Ties in the field of defense and security between Türkiye and Israel have entered a new era as the latter’s defense minister paid a rare visit to Ankara amid ongoing normalization efforts between the two Mediterranean states after years of tension.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz held talks in Türkiye on Oct. 27, making it the first top Israeli defense officials doing so in more than a decade. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar hosted Gantz at the military headquarters before being received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the presidential complex. Gantz also paid his respects to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk through a visit to Anıtkabir Mausoleum before his official talks.

“Our cooperation in the field of defense, security and energy will have important contributions to the regional stability,” Akar said in a statement after his talks with Gantz. Citing his counterpart’s visit as “very important,” the Turkish defense minister said they have discussed how the two countries can cooperate in this new era.

Stressing that Ankara and Tel Aviv have differences on some issues like the Palestinian case, Akar said the bilateral cooperation can also positively influence these very sensitive matters as well. “Türkiye and Israel are two important regional actors,” the minister emphasized.

For his part, Gantz underscored the importance of Türkiye-Israel security ties, stressing as two big developed countries they have enormous potential. “There are so many areas in which we can cooperate in the future,” the minister stressed. The Israeli minister informed that he already gave necessary instructions for studying the ways to improve ties with Türkiye.

The talks between the two men have focused on ways to improve ties in the defense field and assessments on the regional security in the context of Syrian civil war and Russian invasion of Ukraine. Türkiye and Israel had signed two important memorandums of understanding in the mid-1990s on the security and defense industry but the former had cut the military ties with the latter in the aftermath of the Mavi Marmara crisis in which Israeli forces killed 10 Turkish nationals on board the Gaza-bound vessel in the international waters.

The Israeli defense ministry had announced that the visit to Ankara aims to “renew the lines of security relations between the countries” after a decade. Sources from the Israeli government hinted there were no plans to sign an arms deal between the two countries in the frame of this visit.

Gantz in Anıtkabir

The Israeli official’s first stop was the Anıtkabir Mausoleum where the founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s grave is situated.

“Mustafa Kemal Atatürk famously wished for ‘peace at home, peace in the world.’ In visiting the Anıtkabir Mausoleum, I pay my respects and express my commitment to continue working toward this noble cause,” Gantz wrote in the official book of the mausoleum. He also described his visit to Ankara as “historical.”

Irit Lilian, the newly appointed Ambassador of Israel to Ankara welcomed the Israeli minister in the Turkish capital on Twitter. “Looking forwards to fruitful talks that will enhance Israel-Türkiye ties. Moving full steam ahead,” she said.