Chief Rabbi of the Israeli settlement of Tekoa, Rav Menachem Furman, plans to visit Turkey upon Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's invitation, the Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported.
Furman's visit will take place on the backdrop of controversy in the Turkey-Israel bilateral relations in connection with the Israeli military's attack on the Turkish humanitarian ship Mavi Marmara routing to Gaza that lead to murder of nine Turks in late May.
Furman, whom is known for his ties with the leaders of the Muslim world, is in contact with the Erdogan administration for more than a year.
He said peace in the Middle East can be achieved only through dialogue and close contact with representatives of the Muslim clergy. Furman believes Turkey will become the country that will bring peace to the region.
Israel regards Furman's upcoming turkey visit and his meeting with Turkish politicians as an important step toward reconciliation with former military and strategic ally.
This will be Furman's second visit for the last month. He also plans to meet with the head of the politburo of the Palestinian movement Hamas, Khaled Mashaal