During his visit, Avci is going to meet with his Israeli counterpart Yariv Levin, Israeli tourism experts as well as to take part in a number of cultural activities, the media outlet specified. The politician is to attend the opening ceremony of a photo exhibit on the Turkish-Israeli relations, visit Al-Aqsa Mosque and the gravesite of Palestinian statesman Yasser Arafat and take part in the opening of an exhibition of historical photos of Jerusalem.
Relations between Turkey and Israel deteriorated after ten Turkish activists had been killed in May 2010 by Israel’s navy on board of the Turkish aid flotilla Mavi Marmara that tried to break a naval blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. In June 2016 the two countries struck a deal to resume relations. Israel made an apology for the attack, paid $20 million and agreed to weaken the blockade on the Gaza Strip.