Israeli defense minister due in Ankara for talks

Turkish and Israeli defense ministers will hold a rare face-to-face meeting as the latter will pay a visit to the Turkish capital tomorrow as part of the ongoing normalization process between the two countries.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz will come to Ankara on Thursday as the official guest of Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. It will be the first meeting between the defense ministers of the two countries since 2010 when the ties between Türkiye and Israel unprecedentedly escalated due to the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara flotilla crisis in which Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish nationals in the international waters.

"A visit at this level will be the first after so many years. We will evaluate the general situation. Our policies and opinions are certain. The Republic of Türkiye is following a very transparent policy. We will explain these," Minister Akar told reporters following the cabinet meeting late Oct. 24. "We will see what the next stages in line with the developments will be," Akar said. Türkiye and Israel have exchanged ambassadors in the past weeks in a bid to fully normalize the bilateral ties. Israel's Economy Minister Orna Barnibai was in Türkiye last week to upgrade bilateral economic and trade ties. The visits from Israel came a week before the country will go to the elections.

Ankara wants to extend grain deal

On a question about the grain deal that allows Ukraine to export its wheat and other products to the world markets, Akar reiterated that Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul continues to work 24/7 to make the operation endure without problem.

"Our objective is well-known from the very beginning. We should avoid food crisis and keep stability. That's why we are working. We are for sure...