ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, have pledged to expand bilateral cooperation.

Erdogan and Herzog discussed Turkish-Israeli relations and regional concerns during a phone discussion on Sunday, and decided to maintain dialogue and collaboration on mutual defence and the fight against terrorism, according to a statement from the Turkish Directorate of Communications.

According to the report, Herzog commended Erdogan for Turkey's efforts to combat terrorism in the region. Turkey and Israel's relations have recently seen thawing relations after a decade of hostility, the report adds.

Following the killing of scores of Palestinian protesters by Israeli troops during the opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, Turkey recalled its ambassador, pushing Israel to do the same.

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