Israel, Turkey to restore full diplomatic ties

Jerusalem [Israel], August 17 (ANI): Israel and Turkey announced the resumption of full diplomatic ties on Wednesday, after several years of strained relations between the nations.

"Upgrading relations will contribute to deepening ties between the two peoples, expanding economic, trade, and cultural ties, and strengthening regional stability," a statement from the office of the Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Wednesday, after a conversation between Lapid and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Al Jazeera reported.
"Appointment of ambassadors was one of the steps for the normalisation of ties," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at a news conference in Ankara.
"Such a positive step came from Israel as a result of these efforts, and as Turkey, we also decided to appoint an ambassador to Israel, to Tel Aviv," the Turkish Minister said, as per Al Jazeera.
Notably, the two countries expelled ambassadors in 2018 over the killing of 60 Palestinians by Israeli forces during protests on the Gaza border against the opening of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, in July Israeli Prime Minister and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephonic conversation, expressing hope for improving relations between the two countries.
Lapid's office said in a statement cited by Xinhua New Agency said that the two leaders agreed that Israel-Turkey relations are of great importance for security, the economy, and stability in the Middle East," hailing a new civil aviation deal signed last week between the two countries.
The phone call was made amid warming ties between Israel and Turkey, after their years of animosity following an Israeli deadly assault on a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2010. (ANI)