Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Monday to offer his condolences for a powerful earthquake that killed at least 279 people in eastern Turkey, Erdogan's office said. In the phone call, Netanyahu said the Jewish state was ready to assist Turkey, a statement from Erdogan's office said. Netanyahu's office had no immediate comment.Ties between the two Middle Eastern countries have been strained since Israeli commandos last year raided a Turkish flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, killing nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)