Israel dispatches large trade delegation to Turkey as ties warm

A large Israeli trade delegation will arrive in Turkey on Monday to meet exporters as the Middle East nations mend ties.

The two-day meeting is expected to bring together representatives from around 60 Israeli companies with Turkish exporters. It’s the latest sign of a growing thaw in relations that nosedived in 2010 over a deadly Israeli raid on a Turkish flotilla headed to the Gaza Strip.

“The recent normalization of Turkey’s relations with Israel reflects positively on the trade relations of the two countries,” the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly, which is hosting the Israeli business delegation, said in a statement. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is working to repair strained regional ties as part of a broader realignment that’s seen rivals heal rifts and draw down from conflicts. That’s happening as the US has stepped back from the region. Erdogan, luring funds from countries in the region and increasing Turkish exports are also key for averting a deeper economic slowdown while alleviating a cost-of-living crisis ahead of next year’s elections.

Turkey and Israel have both appointed respective ambassadors since September and fully restored diplomatic contacts. Relations with Israel had frayed after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took power in 2003.