Turkish president says Ankara is ready to strengthen relations with Jewish state

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that relations with Israel were "vital to the security and stability of the region" and spoke optimistically about the potential for improving relations with the Jewish state during a meeting with a delegation of Jewish leaders.

Erdogan met Turkish rabbis as well as members of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States and received a silver menorah as a gift.

According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet and other media, Erdogan spoke out against "inhuman ideas such as racism, antisemitism, intolerance towards people of different religions," while calling antisemitism and hostility to Islam as a "crime against humanity."... Read More: i24