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Turkish President and leader of Justice and Development (AK) Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during his ruling AK Party s group meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT), in Ankara, on April 21, 2021. (Adem ALTAN / AFP)
ANKARA, Turkey Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday denounced US President Joe Biden’s recognition of the Armenian genocide as “groundless” and harmful to bilateral ties.
Erdogan had issued a carefully-worded statement moments before Biden made his landmark announcement on Saturday at a ceremony commemorating the tragic 1915-17 events.
But the Turkish president did not hold back his anger in a televised address that he also used to point out the US history of slavery and persecution of Native Americans.
Turkey s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Istanbul on August 5, 2020. (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)
After a three-year hiatus, an Israeli minister has been invited to Turkey to attend an official conference sponsored by the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu extended an invitation to Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, in an apparent attempt to warm Israel’s relations with Turkey as the Middle East battles over natural gas, the Kan public broadcaster reported Wednesday.
Israel has been using energy diplomacy to help create a bloc to counter Turkish policies in the region. But Steinitz made news in March when he mentioned during a press conference in Cyprus that Israel would be open to cooperating with Turkey on natural gas.
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel s diplomatic reporter
Turkey s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right in Istanbul on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)
For over a decade, Turkey has been one of Israel’s most bitter critics on the international stage. Anti-Israel rhetoric from top officials, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, verged on the apoplectic, and Ankara also took actions that angered officials in Jerusalem, most notably providing support for the Hamas terror group.
In recent weeks though, Erdogan has struck a noticeably different tone toward Israel, expressing his interest in improving ties with Turkey’s erstwhile ally.