‘Anti-Israel talk was for political reasons’: Turkey looking to improve relations with Israel

While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been attacking Israel since the war in Gaza began, he actually wants to improve diplomatic relations with Israel, Maariv reported on Tuesday. During the dressing down of the Turkish deputy ambassador, the diplomat told Jacob Blitstein, the director general of the Foreign Ministry, that "Erdogan's harsh rhetoric against Israel stems from Erdogan's political considerations in the local elections in Turkey." The deputy ambassador added that, after the elections, Turkey wants to start improving relations with Israel, including by bringing back the Israeli ambassador who was called back to Israel at the beginning of the war, as well as returning Turkey's ambassador to Israel. Erdogan's AK Party suffered its worst defeat in over 20 years in local elections throughout Turkey on Sunday, with the Republican People's Party (CHP) sweeping most major cities. Foreign Minister Israel Katz mocked Erdogan after the sweeping defeat, posting on X: "Defeat for Erdogan's candidates in the local elections in Turkey. Congratulations to the winners Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, and Mansur Yavas in Ankara, and a clear message to Erdogan - the incitement against Israel is no longer working."