‘Even though there were difficult days, we decided to continue our relations,’ Mevlut Cavusoglu says on Israeli visit
Turkey and Israel demonstrated a "common will" to improve relations in every field, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday during a visit to Israel.
"Even though there were difficult days, we decided to continue our relations," Cavusoglu said at the Turkish Union.
Cavusoglu’s visit was the first trip to Israel by a Turkish foreign minister in nearly 15 years.
"Our Jewish citizens also live in Turkey among different faith groups and different cultures. We are proud of that," he said.
Noting that the Yunus Emre Institute teaches people around the world the Turkish language, Cavusoglu said: "It is a matter of pride to keep alive the legacy you brought from your country."
"Thank you all so much. It is very meaningful that you teach our beautiful language, especially to the new generations," he said.
Ovi Roditi Gulersen, head of the Turkish Union, expressed hope that recent normalization steps between Turkey and Israel will gain momentum with Cavusoglu's visit.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Ankara in March and met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.