Turkish president receives Israeli foreign minister amid deadly quakes

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday received Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in the capital Ankara for talks.

Erdogan and Cohen held a closed-door meeting at the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), according to the Turkish presidency.

The meeting came after two strong earthquakes jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, claiming the lives of at least 31,900 people.

Cohen said he expressed his condolences to Erdogan over the disaster and emphasized Israel's commitment to continue providing support and assistance for the Turkish people as needed.

"The relations between the countries are important for regional stability, and we continue to work to strengthen them. Friends are measured especially in difficult times, and in this difficult hour Israel reaches out to the Turkish people," he said on Twitter.

Earlier on Tuesday, Cohen met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu to show his solidarity with Türkiye.

Following the deadly quakes, Israel was one of the first countries that sent support to Türkiye.