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Israeli Minister Invited to Diplomatic Conference in Turkey

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz speaks during an interview with Reuters in Athens, Greece. (Reuters)
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz speaks during an interview with Reuters in Athens, Greece. (Reuters)
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Israeli Minister Invited to Diplomatic Conference in Turkey

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz speaks during an interview with Reuters in Athens, Greece. (Reuters)
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz speaks during an interview with Reuters in Athens, Greece. (Reuters)

In an apparent attempt to improve its relations with Tel Aviv, Turkey invited on Thursday an Israeli minister to a conference in Antalya next June.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu extended an official invitation to Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is close to Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, to attend a two-day international diplomatic conference in the Turkish city.

Steinitz was probably chosen over other ministers because he is overseeing the file of gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean and is currently managing an essential part of the Israeli policy to establish an alliance with Greece, Cyprus and Egypt to confront Turkey over its plans to reap a share of those reserves.

Cavusoglu’s invitation is the first to an Israeli minister since Turkey recalled its ambassador in Tel Aviv in May 2018, after violent protests on the Gaza border in which over 60 Palestinians were killed.

Israelis viewed the invitation as an attempt to warm relations with Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had himself sought improved relations five months ago when he said they needed to be repaired.

Turkey and Israel, once allies, have had a bitter falling out in recent years. Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israel's occupation of the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians.

Erdogan portrays himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause and has provided political support to Hamas, the militant group that seized power from rival Palestinian forces in Gaza in 2007. A number of Hamas leaders are based in Turkey, and Erdogan met with the group's top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in December 2019.

Last month, the Israeli military said that it had conducted a joint naval exercise with Greece and Cyprus, in the latest sign of greater cooperation among the three countries that increasingly view Turkey as a rival in the Mediterranean.

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Trump is Arriving in Washington for Inaugural Celebrations to Mark His Return to Power

Officials inspect the construction of a stand in the Rotunda, where President-elect Donald Trump is due to take the oath of office on Monday, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Officials inspect the construction of a stand in the Rotunda, where President-elect Donald Trump is due to take the oath of office on Monday, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
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Trump is Arriving in Washington for Inaugural Celebrations to Mark His Return to Power

Officials inspect the construction of a stand in the Rotunda, where President-elect Donald Trump is due to take the oath of office on Monday, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Officials inspect the construction of a stand in the Rotunda, where President-elect Donald Trump is due to take the oath of office on Monday, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Donald Trump will return to Washington Saturday to kick off days of pageantry to herald his second inauguration as president, four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an attack by his supporters on the Capitol.

The ritualistic changing of power will get underway as Washington’s solemn pomp is paired with Trump’s brand of party: a fireworks showcase at one of his luxury golf properties, guests including tech industry titans, friends from the business world and conservative media stars, and thousands of his supporters streaming in from around the country, The AP reported.

With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation’s capital facing frigid temperatures on Inauguration Day, organizers were also scrambling to move inside most of Monday’s outdoor events, including the swearing-in ceremony.

Biden will adhere to one of the most potent symbols of the democratic handover, welcoming Trump to the White House and joining him on the ride to the Capitol before he takes the oath of office.

On Sunday, the eve of his inauguration, Trump is scheduled to participate in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery before heading to a rally at Capital One Arena in Washington. The rally will be followed by a private dinner.

On Inauguration Day, Trump will start with the traditional prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church before heading to the White House for a customary tea with the outgoing president and first lady.

Trump then heads to the Capitol, where his ceremony has been moved indoors as temperatures are set to plummet and make it the coldest Inauguration Day in 40 years. It’s not quite clear how the ceremony will be adapted to the Capitol Rotunda, which holds only 600 people. More than 250,000 guests were ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds.

After Trump takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address, there will be a ceremonial farewell to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. As the new Republican government takes power, Trump will head to a signing ceremony at the Capitol to approve some of his first official acts, followed by a congressional luncheon and review of US troops.

The planned traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue has morphed into an indoor event because of the cold, with Trump again planning to speak to his gathered supporters before he heads to the White House for a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. A trio of glitzy balls will follow in the evening, punctuated by musical performances.