(RTTNews) - Israel's Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer Monday arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara on a visit aimed at mending the recently soured relations between the two countries.

It is the first such visit by an Israeli minister to Turkey after the recent three-week long Israeli offensive on the Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. Eliezer's visit was approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country's cabinet.

During his two-day visit to Turkey, Eliezer will co-chair the annual economic talks between the two countries. He is also heading a delegation of 20 senior Israeli businessmen, who will hold talks with their counterparts in Ankara and Istanbul.

"The people of Israel want to return to good relations with Turkey," Eliezer said. "I hope my economic and political talks will make it possible to get the important relations between Israel and its Turkish strategic partner back on track."

"Turkey has special ties with Israel, and as a regional and democratic-Muslim power," he added.

The relations between the two countries soured after Turkey openly condemned December-January Israeli offensive, which also led to the collapse of Turkey-mediated peace talks between Israel and Syria.
Eliezer's Turkey visit came a day after Israel's hardline foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman criticized Ankara for launching verbal attacks on Israel and ruled out Turkey's mediation in future peace talks with Syria.

"After all the verbal attacks and insults toward us expressed by the Turks, they cannot be considered as mediators between us and the Syrians," Lieberman told reporters on Sunday.

However, Eliezer reportedly urged Turkey on Monday to resume its role as mediator in peace negotiations between Israel and Syria. Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed the Israeli request later, indicating that his country was ready to resume mediating the talks.

"We are willing to mediate between the two countries and contribute to the political process in the region, and hope that we will begin a new era on the Palestinian issue and in everything connected to peace talks in the region," Davutoglu said.

Earlier, the governments of Israel and Syria had begun indirect talks under the mediation of Turkey in Istanbul May 2008, but the negotiations were halted abruptly after Israel launched an offensive against the Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip in December.

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