Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday for the first face-to-face talks between leaders of the U.S.-allied nations since 2008, Lapid's office said.
Israel-Turkey relations, long-frosty amid feuding over the Palestinian cause, have warmed in recent months, with energy emerging as a key area of cooperation. They are expected to exchange new ambassadors soon.
As well as discussing energy, Lapid thanked Erdogan for the countries' intelligence sharing and noted Israel's demand for the return of four of its citizens - two of them soldiers - missing in the Gaza Strip since a 2014 war, Lapid's office said.
NATO-member Turkey has been hosting members of Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist movement that rules Gaza and which much of the West designates as a terrorist group. That relationship has often been a sticking point in bids to rebuild Israel ties.
Ankara, for its part, was outraged by the 2010 killing of 10 Turkish activists in brawls that erupted when Israeli marines stormed a ship trying to break Israel's naval blockade on Gaza.
Prior, to the meeting with Lapid, Erdogan met with a delegation of rabbis in New York and announced he plans to visit Israel after the November 1 elections, probably as early as December.
Erdogan told the rabbis he wanted to keep close relations with Israel, and noted that even during tense times between the countries, the economic relations weren't harmed.
Erdogan also said he is expecting concrete steps to resume normal relations between the countries.
Earlier this week, the Foreign Ministry approved the appointment of Irit Lillian as Jerusalem's next ambassador in Ankara. Her appointment will no go to government approval, and if cleared, she will become the first-ever woman to hold the position and the first to man it since the previous Israeli envoy was banished in May 2018.
Itamar Eichner contributed to this report.