ANKARA (Web Desk)- Israel’s energy minister on Thursday paid a visit to Turkey after both the states normalised their heightened tensions in the aftermath of Israel´s deadly storming of a Gaza-bound aid ship in 2010.
The landmark trip by Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz marks the first visit at ministerial level from Israel in the past six years and comes as energy importer Turkey is keeping a close eye on the Jewish state´s developing offshore gas reserves.
Until the 2010 crisis, NATO member Turkey had been Israel´s key ally in the Muslim world, with the process to normalise relations strongly backed by the United States.
The relationship between the two countries plunged to an all-time low after the Israeli commandos´ raid on the Gaza-bound ship that killed 10 Turks, prompting Ankara to expel the Israeli ambassador and freeze all defence ties.
The two sides finally agreed in June to end the six-year bitter rift after long-running secret talks in third countries.
Israel and Turkey are now mulling to shelve a plan for a joint gas pipeline. Israel’s minister talked to newsmen reaffirming the need for better ties between the two states.
“We discussed energy in general and particularly the issue of natural gas and the possibility of building a natural gas pipeline from Israel to Turkey in order to deliver natural gas to Turkey and to Europe,” Steinitz said.
