Turkish vessel's stop in Israel warms bilateral ties

A Turkish frigate Kemalreis docked in Israel's northern port city of Haifa on Saturday, the first warship to dock in Israel for more than a decade.

According to Reuters, the frigate docked in Haifa as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) manoeuvres in the Mediterranean sea, a Turkish official said. An Israeli official said Ankara had submitted a preliminary request for the crew to disembark on shore leave.

A statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces reported the stopover of the Turkish naval vessel in Haifa, adding that it was part of the cooperation between Israel and NATO to show Israel's support to NATO.

According to the Jerusalem Post, it was the first time a Turkish naval vessel had visited since at least 2010, when bilateral ties were shattered after Israel navy's blockade of the Turkish ship MV Mavi Marmara, which carried humanitarian aid and construction materials to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and the ensuing deaths of 10 Turks in the incident.

Tensions between Türkiye and Israel began easing in June 2021 after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped down. Presidents from both sides met in Ankara in March this year, warming bilateral ties.

On August 17, the Israeli prime minister declared to resume diplomatic relations with Türkiye in a statement, sending ambassadors and consulate-generals back to each other.

(CGTN)