Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the visit of his Israeli counterpart will be a turning point in the countries' tense relations, Reuters reported.

"I believe this historic visit will be a new turning point in Turkey-Israel relations. Our mutual goal is to revive the political dialogue" on the basis of mutual interests, Erdogan told a news conference at the presidential palace.

"I think this is an opportunity to revive the cooperation on the topic of energy that began before," he added, referring to the activities of Turkey's drilling and seismic ships in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Earlier, Erdogan said the two countries could work together to supply Israeli natural gas to Europe.

Gas supplies from the Mediterranean could weaken Europe's dependence on Russian gas amid the Ukraine crisis and subsequent calls by European leaders to reduce the continent's dependence on Moscow.  Plans for an underwater pipeline from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, excluding Turkey, have stalled after the United States raised concerns in January.

Herzog said the two countries had to admit they would not agree on everything. "But we shall aspire to solve our disagreements with mutual respect and goodwill, by means of the proper mechanisms and institutions, which we shall develop together, and with our sights together on a common future," he said.

Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel deteriorated sharply in 2018 when they expelled ambassadors following protests on the Gaza border in which 60 Palestinians were killed.

The incident interrupted years of gradual reconciliation after a quarrel over a 2010 Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound ship that killed nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists.

Dozens of Turks protested against Herzog's visit on Wednesday, calling on Ankara to correct a "mistake".

People lined up behind a banner emblazoned with the slogan: "We don't want a killer in our country" at the protest, organized by a group set up to support victims of the raid.

According to official figures, Turkey and Israel have maintained a trade turnover of $6.7 billion in 2021, up from $5 billion in 2019 and 2020, over the years of hostility. Erdogan said he hoped trade would reach $10 billion this year