In Erdogan call, Herzog hails cooperation with Turkey on foiling Iranian terror

President Isaac Herzog speaks by phone with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to discuss ongoing efforts to thwart Iranian attempts to harm Israeli travelers in Turkey.

According to a statement from Herzog’s spokesman, the president stresses “that the threat has not yet passed and that the counterterror efforts must continue.”

The two leaders highlight “the great contribution of this cooperation to the trust being built between the governments and nations,” according to the statement, and agree to keep channels of dialogue open.

Since early last week, Israeli officials have been sounding urgent warnings that Iranian terror cells are looking to avenge the killing of a senior Revolutionary Guards officer in May, by targeting Israelis in Turkey.

This is the fourth time the leaders have spoken by phone since Herzog visited Turkey in March amid gradually warming ties. Most recently, Herzog wished Erdogan and the Turkish people a happy Eid al-Fitr in early May, while Erdogan sent a congratulatory letter ahead of Israel’s Independence Day.

Last Wednesday, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called Turkey’s top diplomat Mevlut Casuvsoglu to thank him for Ankara’s efforts to protect Israeli tourists from attempts by Iran to harm them.