Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has written to Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory, the veteran Israeli leader’s office said Thursday.
The letter comes as Netanyahu is on the cusp of returning to power after his right-wing bloc secured a majority of seats in the November 1 polls.
“I congratulate you on your victory in the elections and believe that the new government will continue the cooperation between the countries in all fields, in a way that will bring peace and stability to our region,” Erdogan wrote, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s spokesman.
The two longstanding leaders have governed their respective eastern Mediterranean countries during a period of turbulent bilateral relations, though the tide has turned in recent months.
Ankara has yet to comment on the letter, but Erdogan had said earlier in November that Turkey would seek to “pursue relations with Israel on a basis of respect for… common interests”, irrespective of the winner of elections.
“I believe that not only Turkey and Israel but the whole region will benefit from win-win diplomacy,” he continued in a televised interview.
Israel’s outgoing government restored full relations with Ankara in August.
Turkey has twice cut ties with Israel since 2010, predominantly over the killing of Turkish and Palestinian civilians in separate incidents.
Netanyahu, whose second term in office ran from 2009 to 2021, is expected to be officially tasked with forming a new government on Sunday.
