New York, Sept. 21: The leaders of Israel and Turkey met for their first face-to- face talks in well over a decade on Tuesday.

The bilateral dialogue between Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City and came a month after the two nations announced the restoration of diplomatic relations following years of tensions.

Lapid highlighted Israel's demand for the return of four of its citizens, including two soldiers, missing in the Gaza strip since a war in 2014, according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister's office.

Lapid "brought up the issue of missing and captive Israelis and the importance of bringing them home," the office said.

NATO member Turkey has maintained close relations with Hamas — the Islamist movement which is the de facto governing authority of the Gaza Strip.

Much of the West views Hamas as a terrorist group. This group is believed to be holding two Israeli civilians.-Agencies