Why is Turkey reaching out to Israel after more than a decade of frosty relations? | DW News

The UN General Assembly is sometimes nicknamed "speed-dating for diplomats". Because it offers a chance for informal run-ins and meetings even between representatives and politicians who don't usually get much facetime with each other. Day three saw two formerly estranged leaders break the ice after more than a decade of frosty relations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held their first-ever meeting today, at the fringes of the UN General Assembly. They discussed Israel's efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and closer cooperation in fields including energy, technology and cybersecurity. Turkey's been on a charm offensive in recent years, trying to expand its influence in the Middle East. That has seen Ankara reaching out to historical rivals such as Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Turkey's relations with Israel broke down in 2010 after Israeli commandos launched a deadly assault on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was attempting to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip. Ten Turkish activists died in the attack. Bilateral ties remained on ice for over a decade as a result, but the two countries have sought rapprochement in recent months.

For more on this we talk to Steven Cook. He is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an expert on the Middle East. He joins us from Washington DC.

#israel #turkey #un

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