By News Center

Ankara is to appoint a new ambassador to Israel, Yeni Shafak daily reports, citing Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Cavusoglu made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Kyrgyz counterpart Jeenbek Kulubayev in Ankara on August 17.

“Due to our efforts, a positive move came from Israel. Of course, we, as Turkiye, have decided to appoint an ambassador to Israel, to Tel Aviv. With the new appointments, Turkiye will be able to directly deliver its concerns about Palestine at the level of ambassadors,” the Turkish top diplomat stressed.

Simultaneously, Israel declared that the diplomatic relations with Turkiye had been elevated to the highest level, completing the final and most important link in the normalization process.

In simultaneous statements, the two countries have announced the mutual appointments of the ambassadors. Cavusoglu stated that the process of naming the ambassadors will begin, emphasizing that the defense of Palestine's rights will continue.

The Israeli statement came from the prime minister's office just minutes after Cavusoglu announced the decision.

According to the statement, Turkiye and Israel have decided to elevate their diplomatic relations to the highest level and appoint mutual ambassadors and consuls general.

“Following my conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel and Turkiye have decided to restore full diplomatic relations between our nations, including the return of the ambassadors. This will contribute not only to deepening our bilateral ties but to strengthening regional stability,” Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid wrote on his Twitter.

During their phone call, Erdogan and Lapid stated that they will take the necessary steps to appoint the new ambassadors as soon as possible.

Erdogan stated that he supports the long-term development of cooperation and dialogue between Turkiye and Israel while respecting mutual sensitivities.

To recap, following the formation of a new Israeli government and the election of Isaac Herzog as president, dialogue with Israel began, and normalization steps with Turkiye had been accelerated since February.

Turkish Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin and Deputy Assistant to the Foreign Minister, Ambassador Sedat Onal, visited Israel and laid the groundwork for leadership-level contacts.

This visit was followed by Israeli President Isaac Herzog's arrival in Turkiye on March 9-10 at the invitation of President Erdogan. The leaders expressed their mutual desire for the normalization of relations. In the course of the process, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu became the first Turkish foreign minister to visit Israel on May 24-25 following the 15-year break.

Relations between the two countries had come to a breaking point four years ago due to Israel's attacks on Palestine. On May 15, 2018, Turkiye recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultations.