Israeli and Turkish Presidents speak in sign of warming ties

JERUSALEM – Israel's president has spoken with his Turkish counterpart in a possible sign of warming ties between the once closely allied countries, whose relationship has been strained in recent years.

Reuven Rivlin said in a statement that he spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday. Rivlin says they both expressed their condolences for the victims of a suicide bombing on Saturday in Istanbul. Israeli tourists were among those killed and wounded in the attack.

Israel and Turkey were traditionally close allies but relations began to decline after Erdogan, whose party has roots in Turkey's Islamist movement, became prime minister in 2003.