Turkey, Israel to hold political consultation meeting

Israel and Turkey are drafting a road map for a cooperation agenda following an agreement to normalize relations and appoint respective ambassadors in the wake of the 2010 Mavi Marmara massacre.

The undersecretaries of the two sides' foreign ministries will meet within one month for a political consultation meeting, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official has told the Hürriyet Daily News.

High-level visits will be planned in line with the decisions taken at the meeting, with the economy and tourism to have priority at the mutual visits, the official said.

Turkey will participate in a tourism fair in Israel on Feb. 7 and 8, perhaps at the level of the culture and tourism minister level, the official noted. A visit by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to Israel will also be on the agenda when his schedule becomes available.

Officials are aiming to update a free trade agreement between Turkey and Israel by expanding it on issues such as agricultural products.