BICOM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a personal letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulating him on his victory in Turkish elections last week, and expressing his wish to mend the diplomatic rift between Turkey and Israel.

The letter, which Netanyahu sent a few days ago, said that he wanted to normalise the relations between the two countries. “My government will be happy to work with the new Turkish government on finding a resolution to all outstanding issues between our countries, in the hope of re-establishing our cooperation and renewing the spirit of friendship which has characterised the relations between our peoples for many generations,” Netanyahu said in the letter, which was published in the Turkish daily newspaper Today’s Zaman. News of the letter came after Israeli media reports said that Turkish and Israeli officials were holding secret talks aimed at healing the diplomatic rift between the two countries. Sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry and a US official confirmed that talks are being held, while Israeli officials declined to comment. However, during a visit to Italy last week, Netanyahu hinted at wanting to renew relations with Turkey.