Israel, Turkiye agree to restore diplomatic ties

JERUSALEM/ANKARA－Israel and Turkiye agreed on Wednesday to reinstate full diplomatic ties after years of tensions.

"Israel and Turkiye have decided to restore full diplomatic ties between our nations, including returning ambassadors," Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid wrote on Twitter. "This will contribute not only to deepening our bilateral ties but to strengthening regional stability."

Turkiye confirmed that the two sides will reinstate the ambassadors as part of the normalization of ties.

"We have decided to appoint an ambassador to Israel's Tel Aviv," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, adding that talks on the subject started after a new Israeli government took office in 2021.

The process will begin after both countries present the names of the ambassadors, Cavusoglu said.

Relations between the two countries became strained in 2010 when a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip clashed with Israeli forces, leaving 10 Turks dead.

In 2018, Turkiye and Israel expelled each other's top diplomats amid tensions over the Israeli killing of 60 Palestinians during protests against the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

The countries have been working to mend ties over the past months, including with a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkiye in March, the first visit by a senior Israeli official since 2008. Talks have also been held on piping natural gas from Israel to Europe via Turkiye.

Lapid and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a phone discussion on Wednesday after the two countries announced the move to reinstate ambassadors.

During the call, Erdogan hailed the progress of Turkiye-Israel relations within the framework agreed upon during both Herzog's visit and that of Lapid to Ankara, the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

Erdogan said that he supports the development of cooperation and dialogue between Israel and Turkiye on a sustainable basis of mutual respect, and Turkiye would take immediate steps to appoint an ambassador to Israel, said the statement.

Xinhua