Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced antisemitism and announced his plans to visit Israel, in a meeting with 15 Jewish leaders in New York on Wednesday.
The conversation, initiated by Erdogan, included attendees from the Conference of Presidents and various other Jewish organizations, as well as rabbis, leaders of the Turkish Jewish community, and Turkish Jewish Americans.
“I have an open channel with President [Isaac] Herzog and now I also have an open channel with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” he said.
Erdogan added that he was excited to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP), told The Jerusalem Post that the talk was warm and engaging.
“He reiterated his commitment to fostering a stable and productive relationship with the State of Israel and expressed his determination to combat antisemitism, which he labeled a ‘crime against humanity,’” he said.
“The hour-long conversation also touched on the upcoming visits of Prime Minister Netanyahu to Turkey and President Erdogan to Israel. The Jewish leaders present pledged their support for these visits and their dedication to further enhancing the relationship,” Daroff concluded.
