Turkey says ties with Israel help ease Palestinian conflict

JERUSALEM (AP) — Turkey’s foreign minister said Wednesday that normalizing ties with Israel will help efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke in Jerusalem Wednesday as part of the first visit by a senior Turkish official to Israel in 15 years. The trip comes as Israel and Turkey have worked to reset their relations after years of strained ties. Cavusoglu said that “working on a positive agenda can also help us to address our disagreements in a more constructive manner.” He added that “normalization of our ties will also have a positive impact on peaceful resolution of the conflict” with the Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that the countries were opening a new chapter in their relations.