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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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Hundreds of Swedish Forces Arrive in Latvia in Largest Deployment with NATO to Date

Swedish and NATO flags are seen printed on paper this illustration taken April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Swedish and NATO flags are seen printed on paper this illustration taken April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Hundreds of Swedish Forces Arrive in Latvia in Largest Deployment with NATO to Date

Swedish and NATO flags are seen printed on paper this illustration taken April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Swedish and NATO flags are seen printed on paper this illustration taken April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Hundreds of Swedish troops arrived in Latvia on Saturday to join a Canadian-led multinational brigade along NATO's eastern flank, a mission Sweden is calling its most significant operation so far as a member of the Western defense alliance.

A ship carrying parts of a mechanized infantry battalion arrived early Saturday in the port of Riga, the Latvian capital, escorted by the Swedish air force and units from the Swedish and Latvian navies, the Swedish armed forces said in a statement, The AP reported.

Latvia borders Russia to its east and Russia ally Belarus to its southeast. Tensions are high across Central Europe due to Russia's war against Ukraine.

Sweden's armed forces said the mission of 550 troops will contribute to the alliance’s deterrence and defense efforts, and ensure stability in the region, and that it “marks Sweden’s largest commitment yet since joining NATO.”

Commander Lieutenant Colonel Henrik Rosdahl of the 71st Battalion said he felt great pride in contributing to the alliance's collective defense.

"It’s a historic day, but at the same time, it’s our new normal,” he said.

The Swedish troops join one of eight NATO brigades along the alliance’s eastern flank. The battalion is stationed outside the town of Adazi, near Riga.

Sweden formally joined NATO in March as the 32nd member of the trans-Atlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality and centuries of broader nonalignment with major powers as security concerns in Europe have spiked following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Finland also abandoned its longstanding military neutrality to join NATO in April 2023, due to anxieties sparked when Russia invaded Ukraine the previous year.