Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will travel to Türkiye on July 28 to hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both leaders’ offices said late Thursday, Al Jazeera reports.

According to the report, Netanyahu will be received a few days after Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected on July 25, the Turkish presidency said.

“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will welcome the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Türkiye in the course of the same week,” the presidency said in a statement, the report added.

Turkey’s Erdogan Condemns ‘Heinous Terrorist Attacks’ in Israel

The leaders will discuss “Türkiye-Palestine relations and the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as other topical international issues,” it added.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed the visit, the first by an Israeli prime minister since Ehud Olmert in 2008.

It is unclear why Erdogan has agreed to meet Netanyahu, but following years of pro-Palestinian rhetoric, the Turkish leader has taken many steps to re-normalize relations with Tel Aviv.

The normalization of ties between the two countries began in earnest late 2020 and culminated into the return of ambassadors in August 2022.

(MEMO, PC)