Evaluating his visit to Turkey, Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Gantz said that the door was opened for cooperation in the field of security. Benjamin Gantz, the first Israeli defense minister to come to Turkey in 12 years, completed his visit. Answering the questions of journalists at the airport on his return to his country, Gantz said that with his visit, the door was opened for cooperation in the field of security. Stating that Israel sees Turkey as an important actor, “Unfortunately, even though our relations lasted 10 years, they were not very good. There was a disagreement largely over the Palestinian issue,” Gantz said. The Israeli minister stated that there is great potential to strengthen relations with Turkey in the field of economy and defense, “We still have different approaches to the Palestinian issue. Israel is concerned about its security needs in the entire region and in Palestine. But at the same time, we understand the Palestinians' need for support in areas such as humanitarian aid and the economy,” Gantz added.
“I HAD TO CANCEL DUE TO SECURITY”
Evaluating his meeting with Minister of National Defense Akar, Gantz said, “Our meeting was an important first high-level meeting in the field of security, which opened the doors of potential cooperation and provided guidance. We haven't talked about specific projects yet. All of these will undoubtedly be addressed in the future.” The Israeli minister was also asked about his visit to Greece, which was planned before his visit to Turkey but was canceled at the last minute, and the Iron Dome air defense system, which is on the agenda for sale to Southern Cyprus. “I had to cancel my visit to Greece purely due to technical and security reasons,” said Gantz, adding: “It's definitely not about our relations with Greece. I also spoke with the Greek defense minister and he completely understood the situation. Nothing has been decided on the Iron Dome yet, no decision has been made. If there are new developments in this regard, we will of course announce them to the public,” he added.