- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
- Maresca hails Chelsea's 'fighting' spirit after draw with 10-man Forest
- New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office
- Man Utd stalemate keeps Ten Hag in danger, Spurs rocked by Brighton
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Vikings hold off Jets in London to stay unbeaten
- Ahead of attack anniversary, Netanyahu says: 'We will win'
- West Indies cruise to T20 World Cup win over Scotland
- Arshdeep, Chakravarthy help India hammer Bangladesh in T20 opener
- Lewandowski's quickfire hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Man Utd fire another blank in Aston Villa stalemate
- Lewandowski treble powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Russian activist killed on front line in Ukraine
- Openda strike briefly sends Leipzig top of Bundesliga
- Goal-shy Man Utd have to 'step up', says Ten Hag
- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
Israel, Turkey hail new era after years of broken ties
Israel and Turkey proclaimed a new era in relations on Wednesday following more than a decade of diplomatic rupture, as Israeli President Isaac Herzog made a landmark visit to Ankara.
Herzog's Turkey trip, which included talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was the first by an Israeli president since 2007, when the late Shimon Peres addressed the Turkish parliament.
Ties then plummeted, but Erdogan, standing alongside the Israeli president, proclaimed that Herzog's "historic visit will be a turning point in our relations."
"Our mutual goal is to revive dialogue based on respect," added Erdogan, who is a vocal champion of the Palestinian cause.
Herzog, who holds a traditionally ceremonial position but has taken on an outsized diplomatic role since his July inauguration, conceded that Israel-Turkey ties "underwent a drought."
"The baggage of the past never disappears of its own accord, but we ... are choosing to embark on a journey of trust and respect," he said.
"We must agree in advance that we will not agree on everything."
Relations began to fray following an Israeli military operation in Gaza in 2008.
Ties then froze following the death of 10 civilians following an Israeli raid on the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship, part of a flotilla trying to breach a blockade by carrying aid into Gaza in 2010.
A 2016 reconciliation agreement that saw the return of ambassadors all but collapsed in 2018 in the wake of Gaza border clashes that killed dozens of Palestinians.
- Ambassadors to return? -
Herzog was received in a snowy Ankara with a military honour guard at the Mustafa Kemal Ataturk mausoleum, where he wrote an inscription praising Turkey's first president for choosing "the path of collaboration."
The presidents then held bilateral talks and were then due to partake in a state dinner.
Erdogan said he raised "the Palestine issue," and Turkey's interest in seeing "improvement in the social and political status of Palestinians."
Turkey has maintained ties with Hamas Islamists who have controlled Gaza since 2007, and are considered a terrorist organisation by Israel and much of the West.
Hamas condemned Turkey for welcoming "the Zionist occupation president."
Sources involved in the bilateral talks, who requested anonymity, said the presidents raised the presence of Hamas leaders in Turkey, a longstanding Israeli grievance.
Following the 2018 Gaza bloodshed, Turkey recalled its diplomats and ordered Israel's envoy out of the country.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters Wednesday he would visit Israel next month and would discuss reappointing ambassadors with his counterpart Yair Lapid.
- 'Turning point' -
The rapprochement began following Herzog's inauguration, with a congratulatory call from Erdogan to the new Israeli president, who is a veteran of the left-wing Labour party.
Israeli leaders were wary of Turkey's outreach.
But Erdogan's move to secure the release of an Israeli couple arrested in Istanbul in November on espionage charges proved a "turning point", said Gallia Lindenstrauss of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies.
Following the 2010 crisis, Israel created a strategic alliance with Greece and Cyprus -- two states with long-standing acrimony towards Erdogan's Turkey -- holding regular meetings and joint military drills.
The trio were part of the "East Mediterranean Gas Forum" established in 2019 with other states, including Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian territories -- without Turkey.
For Turkey, that frustration over its exclusion from the gas talks -- as well as an internal economic crisis, and a more confrontational US administration since President Joe Biden's election -- has pushed Ankara closer to Israel, Lindenstrauss said.
Erdogan voiced readiness "to cooperate (with Israel) in energy projects," with the prospect of exporting Israeli gas to Europe through Turkey having taken on renewed urgency amid fears of impaired supply following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- Regional ties -
Regional ties remain sensitive, and Herzog visited both Greece and Cyprus ahead of his Turkey trip to reassure the two Israeli allies.
Before departing Israel, Herzog stressed regional "stability" was crucial when "the international order is being shaken," a message he said he delivered in Greece and Cyprus.
Erdogan described relations with Israel as "important for regional peace."
Herzog is scheduled to meet members of the Jewish community in Istanbul on Thursday, before returning to Israel.
C.Garcia--AMWN