Israel's Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen (Likud), met Tuesday morning with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Çavuşoğlu, in Ankara, more than a week after southern Turkey was devastated by a massive earthquake.
"Today, I had the privilege of meeting for the first time my friend Mevlut Çavuşoğlu to discuss the outcomes of the recent earthquake that struck Turkey last week," Cohen said during a joint press conference with Çavuşoğlu in the Turkish capital.
Cohen touted Israel's warming ties with Ankara, and offered his condolences to the families of those killed in last week's 7.8-magnitude earthquake on the Turkish-Syrian border.
"Although my main goal was to show Israel’s solidarity with Turkey, we took advantage of our meeting and we discussed the relations between our two countries, which have warmed up dramatically in the past year."
"On behalf of the government and the people of Israel, I offered our heartfelt condolences and support to those affected by this tragic event, which had no precedent in the past century, which is beyond words."
"In the face of such overwhelming loss and devastation, it is more important than ever, for us - the international community in general and Israel in particular- to come together as friends, to offer support and assistance in any possible way. Human sympathy should know no borders, no political boundaries."
"We stand in solidarity with the Turkish people during this difficult time, and we will do all we can to provide aid and comfort to those in need, not only now but in the future as well, as we understand that the challenge is enormous."
"Israel was among the first nations to send rescue teams to Turkey with more than 450 professionals who arrived immediately after the earthquake, within the first 24 hours, in order to save lives. We have brought hundreds of tons of medical equipment and humanitarian aid and built a field hospital to attend those who need medical treatment."
"Dear Minister, dear friend, I am grateful for the opportunity to meet with you and discuss ways in which we can work together to respond to this disaster."
"Our two nations have a long history of friendship and cooperation; Turkey attended to the Israeli needs during the fires on the Carmel Mountains in 2012, Israel was here during 1999 earthquake. We will continue to strengthen our relations in the days and months ahead, we will develop and advance our bilateral relations in different fields, and we shall work to address the needs of those affected by this tragedy."
"May the memories of those who have passed away be a blessing, and may the swift recovery of those injured be a source of comfort to their families and loved ones. İsrail Türkiye'nin yanında! (Israel stands with Turkey!)”