Israeli FM to visit Turkiye next week

Israeli FM to visit Turkiye next week

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will visit Turkiye next week, his office said on June, days after he urged Israelis to leave that country over threats of attacks by Iranian operatives? reports TurkicWorld with the reference Hurriyet Daily News.

Sunday’s announcement came after Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke by telephone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and "thanked" him "for the efforts to thwart terrorist activities on Turkish soil", according to a statement from the Israeli presidency.

"President Herzog emphasised that the threat has not yet passed and that the counterterror efforts must continue," it added.

Lapid will visit Turkiye on Thursday and meet his counterpart Mevlut Cavushoglu, an Israeli foreign ministry statement said.

On Monday, Lapid urged Israelis in Turkiye to leave "as soon as possible", saying they faced "a real and immediate danger" from Iranian agents.

The foreign minister cited "several Iranian attempts at carrying out terror attacks against Israelis on holiday in Istanbul".

"If you are already in Istanbul, return to Israel as soon as possible," he said.

"If you have planned a flight to Istanbul - cancel. No vacation is worth your life."

The stark warning came amid the latest surge in tensions between bitter rivals Iran and Israel, with Tehran blaming the Jewish state for a series of attacks on its nuclear and military infrastructure, inside Iran but also inside Syria.

In recent weeks, Israeli media carried several reports claiming that attacks on citizens in Türkiye were being planned.

Public broadcaster Kan reported last Monday that Iranian operatives had planned to kidnap Israelis in Turkiye a month ago but the plot was thwarted after Israel alerted Ankara.