Israel, Turkey to reappoint ambassadors, opening new chapter in relations
After 20 months of courtship, Jerusalem now believes Ankara and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are sincere in their efforts to rehabilitate bilateral ties.
Israeli diplomats are welcoming Prime Minister Yair Lapid's announcement yesterday that Jerusalem and Ankara are restoring full diplomatic ties. Neither side has revealed the names of the new ambassadors, but experts believe decisions in both countries will be taken quickly.
Irit Lillian, the Israeli charge d’affairs in Ankara since February 2021, has labored since taking office to rehabilitate ties between Jerusalem and Ankara. Her colleagues testify that she has managed to generate dialogue with several Turkish decision-makers, and was a key element in the rapprochement between the two countries over the past year.
Shortly after Lapid's announcement, Lillian posted, "This is exactly the kind of day that is worth going to the office for, a day that allows you to dream big and hope that at least some of it will come true. Thank you, my two bosses, Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Director General of the Foreign Ministry Alon Ushpiz, for the privilege of being part of this great cause."
The move "is of course a positive step,'' says Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, and it makes sense in light of the 2020 Abraham Accords and ensuing geopolitical changes in the region — and considering Turkey’s dire economic situation.
