Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the opening ceremony of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) Excellence Centers in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, Turkey, on Aug. 9, 2020. Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey has become the third country to develop vaccines locally against COVID-19 after the United States and China, according to the World Health Organization. (Xinhua)

Turkey is ready to cooperate with Israel in the field of energy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday after a meeting with visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog aimed at normalizing bilateral ties.

"I told Mr Herzog that we are ready for cooperation in energy and energy security. Turkey has the experience to implement such projects," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with Herzog in the capital Ankara.

"I believe that this historic visit will be a turning point in relations between Turkey and Israel," the Turkish president said, adding new opportunities will be brought for both regional and bilateral cooperation.

The Turkish ministers of foreign affairs and energy will pay visits to Israel in the upcoming period, according to Erdogan.

"Our common goal with Israel is to revitalize political dialogue between our countries, based on common interests and respect for mutual sensitivities," he said, adding that Ankara has "clearly expressed" its sensitivity on the issue of Palestine.

Herzog is the first Israeli leader to visit Turkey since 2008, as the two countries' relations began to sour in 2010 when a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip clashed with Israeli forces, killing 10 Turks on board.

In a more recent spat in 2018 when the US moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador from Ankara.

In recent months, the presidents of the two countries held several phone conversations in a bid to mend ties.

For his part, Herzog said "partnership and good neighborly relations" between Israel and Turkey are "important to us all" in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Xinhua