Olmert to visit Turkey next Wednesday

One Israeli spokeswoman said that the Israeli deputy premier Ehud Olmert will visit Turkey next Wednesday. The spokeswoman said that Olmert who assumes the post of the ministry of commerce will discuss with his Turkish counterparts economic issues.

The spokeswoman refused to confirm a report published by Haartez daily which said that Olmert will meet with the Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The report of the Israeli paper said that Olmert will seek to remove the tension which emerged during the past few months in the relations between the two countries.

The visit comes in the course of the tension in the relations between Turkey and Israel after Erdogan in May strongly criticized Israel because of its aggressive practices in the occupied Palestinian territories. Turkey also summoned its ambassador in Israel for days for consultations before he returned back to his office.

Worthy mentioning that the Syrian prime minister Naji Otari will visit Ankara next week.