Prime Minister Turgut Ozal of Turkey told a delegation of Jewish leaders that, except for Egypt, Turkey was the only Moslem country to maintain relations with Israel and would continue to do so. Given its relations with both Israel and the Arab world, Ozal said, his country has an important role to play in the Middle East.
The Jewish representatives, who met for an hour yesterday with the Turkish leader, described the meeting as “cordial and straightforward.” The focus of the discussion was on the relations between Turkey and Israel, with special emphasis on the possibility of increased trade between the two countries, and U.S.-Turkey relations within the framework of NATO. Ozal reportedly spoke of his country’s Jewish community and the “many contributions” made by Turkey’s Jews to the life of the country.
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