Netanyahu calls Erdogan to extend condolences over Sunday's Istanbul terror attack

By Beyza Binnur Donmez and Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - Israel's Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday telephoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend his condolences over Sunday's terrorist attack in Istanbul that claimed six lives and injured 81 others.

Thanking Netanyahu for his condolence call, Erdogan voiced his sadness over the incident in West Bank two days ago, the Turkish Communications Directorate said in a statement.

Three Israeli settlers were killed and three others injured in an attack inside a settlement in the northern West Bank on Tuesday.

Erdogan also expressed his wish that the election results in Israel may be "auspicious for the country and the region."

Earlier this month, Netanyahu, a former prime minister, and his right-wing bloc won 64 seats in Israel's 120-seat Knesset, or parliament, securing him an outright majority to form the government.

Highlighting the beginning of a new era in the Türkiye-Israel relations thanks to the strong will displayed by both sides, Erdogan said: "It was in the shared interest of Türkiye and Israel to maintain the relations by respecting sensitivities on the basis of mutual interests, and to strengthen them on a sustainable basis."

Netanyahu, for his part, said Türkiye's mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine were "important to the world."

On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which had been paused in February due to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Days before its scheduled expiration, on Thursday the landmark deal was extended for another 120 days.

More than 10 million tons of grain have been exported from Ukraine since Aug. 1, according to the UN.

Israel-Türkiye relations have warmed in recent months, with the two countries in August agreeing to restore full diplomatic ties. Both countries have since reappointed their ambassadors.