Israeli foreign minister to visit Turkey amid security jitters

19 June 2022 - 19:18 By Reuters
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and foreign minister Yair Lapid attend a cabinet meeting at the Prime minister's office in Jerusalem, Israel, June 19 2022.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and foreign minister Yair Lapid attend a cabinet meeting at the Prime minister's office in Jerusalem, Israel, June 19 2022.
Image: Abir Sultan/Pool via REUTERS

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid plans to visit Turkey this week, his office said on Sunday, after months of warming ties but also recent worries voiced by Israel that its citizens could come under attack by Iranian agents in the NATO-member country.

The statement said that Lapid, during his trip on Thursday, would meet Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, who last month visited Israel to encourage expanded economic co-operation.

Israel has warned its citizens against travel to Turkey, citing suspected assassination or abduction plots by Iran, which has vowed to avenge the May 22 assassination of a Revolutionary Guards colonel in Tehran that it blamed on Israeli agents.

Iran has not commented on the Israeli travel warning, which is currently focused on Istanbul. In a June 13 statement that did not name any other countries, Turkey's Foreign Ministry alluded to the warning and said it was a safe country with “co-operation mechanisms for the battle with terrorism”.

Reuters

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.