Israel and Turkey today agreed on the start of better relations, the office of the former and likely future Israeli prime minister announced Benjamin Netanyahu.

He and the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone conversation, they promised to cooperate in initiating a new era between the two countries.

The announcement states that Erdogan has shown readiness to mend relations.

Relations between Turkey and Israel during Netanyahu's rule have been strained by repeated wars against the militant Hamas government in the Gaza Strip and an Israeli army attack on a Palestinian flotilla in the same area in 2010. Erdogan has openly criticized Israel's policy toward the Palestinians, and Israel has opposed Turkey's acceptance of Hamas.

However, after the state visit of the Israeli president Isaac Herzog to Turkey in March and other signs of improving relations, the two countries agreed to exchange ambassadors and they still share some strategic interests, including "pacifying Iran."