Israeli minister signals defense ties’ restart with Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has signaled a possible resumption of defense ties with Turkey. Gantz on Thursday become the first top Israeli defense official in more than a decade to visit Turkey. Turkey and Israel were once close regional allies with broad defense ties. But the relationship became more and more strained under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is an outspoken critic of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians. Relations began to thaw after the departure of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel and Turkey recently announced they were reappointing ambassadors to each other’s countries.