Israeli President Isaac Herzog left Turkey today, Thursday, at the end of an official visit, the first of its kind in 14 years, during which the two sides stressed the need to improve relations after they witnessed tensions during the past years.

Before leaving Turkey, Herzog met members of the Jewish community in Istanbul, and then participated in religious rites in the "Nevi Shalom" synagogue in the historic Beyoglu district in the city center, knowing that about 15,000 Jews live in Turkey today, most of them in Istanbul.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the Israeli president held talks in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on bilateral relations and other issues, including the eastern Mediterranean file, and supplying Europe with Israeli gas through Turkey.

In a press conference after the talks, Erdogan said that he stressed to his Israeli counterpart the importance of the two-state solution and the importance of developing relations between the two countries for the sake of the region as a whole, adding that he informed him that Turkey is sensitive to the Israeli policy towards Palestine and the historical and religious situation of Jerusalem.

He added that the improvement of Turkish-Israeli relations is very important for spreading stability and peace in the region, explaining that he believes that the "historic visit" of the Israeli president will be a new turning point in the relations between the two sides.

For his part, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that it is possible to establish an important partnership that contributes to the well-being and stability of the region, as he put it.

Herzog added that he believes that relations with Turkey will be based on "mutual respect" from now on, and that he is looking forward to resolving differences between the two parties in good faith, noting that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will visit Israel next April.

On Wednesday, Istanbul, Ankara and other Turkish cities witnessed protests against the Israeli president's visit.

An exploration platform in the Leviathan gas field off the Haifa coast (Reuters)

Transporting gas to Europe

Meanwhile, Oded Eran, the former Israeli ambassador to Jordan and the European Union, said that Turkey is the best option for transporting Israeli gas to Europe.

Eran added, in a statement to Anatolia News Agency, that the meeting held yesterday, Wednesday, by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, may lead to the activation of this option.

He pointed to some differences between Turkey and Israel that had obstructed that option in the past, which prompted Tel Aviv to search for alternatives.

The Israeli diplomat explained that Turkey is the most appropriate option for transporting gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, adding that the Russian military operation in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia have put the Turkish option in the forefront.