22 July 2021; MEMO: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has reassured his Greek counterpart Katerina Sakellaropoulou that Israel continues to side with Greece and Cyprus in their dispute with Turkey, local media have reported. This was despite the recent friendly call between Herzog and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Turkish leader called Herzog on 13 July to congratulate him on becoming president. No such phone call had taken place between senior Israeli and Turkish politicians since the 2017 crisis in Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. Erdogan's call, therefore, prompted some observers to predict a possible rapprochement between the two states whose relationship has long been strained.
Turkey's disputes with Greece revolve around the conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, in addition to oil and gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
According to the US Axios website, Erdogan and Herzog discussed "the potential for better relations and energy cooperation, a matter of concern for Greece."
