Last week, the 77th United Nations General Assembly Summit was significant in many ways, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among the leaders attending the summit and addressed the General Assembly.
His visit was remarkable in different terms. The Turkish Presidency hosted representatives of United States-based Turkish nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and Jewish groups.
President Erdoğan also met with U.N. General Secretary Antonio Guterres and heads of state of different countries.
The most significant meeting was the one with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, the first in 14 years. The main topics of the critical meeting were energy and intelligence, according to credible sources.
Lapid said in his statement over the meeting that he commended the recent restoration of full diplomatic ties between the countries and the appointment this week of a new Israeli ambassador to Türkiye.
Here I should note that with the change of government in Israel, the dialogue between Türkiye and Israel has taken on a much more positive tone. During the Netanyahu Administration, bilateral relations have deteriorated for over a decade. However, since former premier Benjamin Netanyahu left office, President Erdoğan has been more open to restoring the ties between the two countries, which I think is very positive and constructive for the region.
Since both Türkiye and Israel are very important countries in the Middle East, being in dialogue despite differences can contribute to peace in the entire region.
Following Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s two-day official visit to Türkiye last March, the two countries agreed to exchange ambassadors and began to exchange know-how as well as cooperation deals in some areas. One of those areas is energy – it is also a very strategic one. Erdoğan has expressed interest in tapping into Israel’s offshore natural gas fields in the Mediterranean.
This dialogue comes at a time when a difficult winter is nearing amid rising prices and a global economic crisis. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues and the world is suffering from many conflicts.
Türkiye is trying to help resolve disputes around the world in an impartial and solution-oriented manner. In the Ukraine crisis, it works as a mediator and tries to restore peace while it seeks to keep the tension down in Israel. Moreover, it implements multipolar diplomacy through good relations with Moscow and constructive dialogue with Washington at the same time, which makes Ankara unique in the bipolar world.
That is why President Erdoğan’s address at the U.N. General Assembly was very crucial. There should be bridges between the two poles – Russia and U.S. – and Türkiye is the strongest candidate for being this bridge that can keep the dialogue open between the two sides.
