Xinhua
20 Jun 2022, 00:14 GMT+10
JERUSALEM, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid plans to visit Turkey on Thursday, his office announced Sunday, amid months of thawing ties and Israeli fears that its tourists could become a target for Iranian attacks.
During his upcoming snap visit, Lapid is expected to meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Lapid's office said in a statement, without providing further details.
Cavusoglu visited Jerusalem in late May to boost bilateral economic ties, the first of its kind by a Turkish minister in 15 years. In a joint press conference then, Lapid hailed Cavusoglu's visit as the opening of a "new chapter" in the relations between the two countries.
Lapid's visit will take place amid concerns by Israeli security agencies that Iran could attack Israeli nationals in Istanbul and possibly other cities in Turkey.
On June 13, Israel's National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau issued a "level 4" travel warning for Istanbul, the highest level possible, citing concerns of "revenge attacks" over the killing of Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps colonel on May 22 in Tehran. Iran believes he was assassinated by Israeli forces.
Turkey and Israel have been working to mend their ties after a decade of enmity, with discussions on cooperation in exporting natural gas from Israel to Europe via Turkey.
Ties between the two countries have been strained since Israel's deadly assault on a Turkish-led flotilla to the besieged Gaza Strip in 2010.
Get a daily dose of Israel Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Israel Herald.
More InformationDOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
TORONTO, Canada: Harvard University and the University of Toronto have created a backup plan to ensure Harvard graduate students continue...
JERUSALEM, Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel's success in the war with Iran could open the door to...
NEW DELHI, India: India has decided not to allow a United Nations (UN) investigator to join the investigation into the recent Air India...
BONN, Germany: Despite widespread belt-tightening across the United Nations, nearly 200 countries agreed this week to increase the...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...
LONDON, U.K.: A little-known investment fund based in the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most prominent public backer of U.S....
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Across the U.S., a growing number of people are taking obesity treatment into their own hands — literally....
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Under pressure from European regulators, Apple has revamped its App Store policies in the EU, introducing...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar tumbled this week, hitting its lowest levels since 2021 against the euro, British pound, and...