Israel, Türkiye to restore full diplomatic relations

Israel and Türkiye have agreed on a return to full normalization of relations, including reinstating ambassadors and consuls general, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Wednesday.

"It was decided to once again upgrade the level of the relations between the two countries to that of full diplomatic ties and to return ambassadors and consuls general from the two countries," Lapid tweeted, following a conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Upgrading relations will contribute to deepening ties between the two peoples, expanding economic, trade, and cultural ties, and strengthening regional stability."

The relations between the two countries were strained in 2010 when a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip clashed with Israeli forces, killing 10 Turks on board.

In 2018, Türkiye expelled the Israeli ambassador after Israeli forces killed Palestinians during protests on the Gaza border against the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. In a swift response, Israel summoned the Turkish Consul-General in Jerusalem and told him to return to Türkiye.

In recent years, Türkiye and Israel have been working to mend their ties after years of enmity, including talks on exporting natural gas from Israel to Europe via Türkiye.

And in March, a visit to Türkiye by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and following visits by both foreign ministers, helped warm relations after more than a decade of tensions.

Shortly after the announcement from Israeli side, Türkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed that the two countries agreed to appoint ambassadors for normalization of relations and will hold a joint economic meeting soon.

But he noted Türkiye will not give up on the Palestinian cause. "It is important for our messages to be conveyed directly through the ambassador (on the Palestinian issue),"Cavusoglu told reporters on Wednesday.

（CGTN）