Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Ankara with a delegation of 20 American Jewish leaders in, a further sign that normalization of relations between Turkey and Israek is closer than ever before.

The meeting took place as Israeli and Turkish negotiating teams are having talks ing in Geneva in an effort to complete a reconciliation agreement between the two countries.

The Jewish delegation was led by Malcolm Hoenlein, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, Malcolm Hoenlein, who is close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ishak Ibrahimzadeh, the president of the Jewish community in Turkey, was also present at the meeting.

The Jewish delegation included also representatives from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), American Jewish Committee (AJC), the American Jewish Congress, B'nai B'rith International and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA).

"We discussed a variety of issues," Hoenlein said after the meeting. "We talked about the opportunity for reconciliation. Erdogan raised specific issues, including the fight against extremists, the war on terrorism and the role of Turkey and Iran in the region. We were there as representatives of the American Jewish leadership. We consulted with Israel before the meeting but it is not true to say that we conveyed messages from Israel. We discussed the concerns of all parties, including Israel."

This was the first time the Turkish president met with American Jewish leaders since his confrontation in front of then President Shimon Peres at Davos in January of 2009, after Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.

Hoenlein was reportedly asked by senior Israeli officials to convey messages to Erdogan about reconciliation talks between the two countries.

According to Turkish presidential sources quoted by daily Sabah newspaper, the Jewish delegation and Erdogan discussed the current stage of the normalization talks between Turkey and Israel.

Erdogan said that from his perspective, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are the same and he is against both, adding that his criticism of Israeli politicians should not be misunderstood as being against all Israeli citizens

In Geneva, Israeli envoy Joseph Ciechanover and acting National Security Advisor Jacob Nagel are meeting Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu in an attempt to finalise a deal which would see the two countries resume diplomatic ties after a six year hiatus.

In 2010, the previously warm relationship between Israel and Turkey deteriorated and diplomatic relations were ceded after the deaths of ten Turkish citizens who were killed whilst trying to prevent Israeli commandos taking over a Gaza-bound protest ship, the Mavi Marmara.

In 2013, Israel’s Prime Minister paved the way for reconciliation by issuing an apology. It is thought that arrangements were made in 2014 over a compensation deal for the families of those killed aboard the Mavi Marmara. Although subsequent talks resumed last year, a number of outstanding issues remain.

These are thought to include Turkey’s demand for free access to the Gaza Strip and Israel’s demand that Hamas be expelled fully from Turkey.

However, Haaretz suggested that there is an extra point of contention with Ya’alon insisting that the bodies currently held by Hamas of slain soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, be returned as part of an agreement.

The Geneva talks come just weeks after Israel, Greece and Cyprus pledged to work closely together on a range of common regional issues, including energy and infrastructure. Speaking on Sunday, Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said that “If things improve with Turkey… gas could be sold to Turkey, and to Greece via Turkey.”