Turkey taps career diplomat as new ambassador to Israel
Turkey has named a veteran career diplomat as the new Turkish ambassador to Israel — a move that also reflects Ankara’s sensitivities to the Palestinian cause.
Ankara named veteran career diplomat Sakir Ozkan Torunlar as the new Turkish ambassador to Israel Thursday, moving to fill the position that has been vacant for nearly five years due a series of political rows between the two countries.
Torunlar, who was appointed to the post by a presidential decree, has been a career diplomat for nearly 40 years and has worked in several countries, including Greece, India and the United Kingdom.
The appointment of Torunlar also reflects the Turkish government’s sensitivities to the Palestinian conflict, as the diplomat also served as Turkey’s ambassador to Palestine in 2013 following the UN General Assembly vote granting Palestine “non-member state status” while he was Turkey’s consul general in Jerusalem.
During his tenure there, the diplomat was awarded the Star of Jerusalem Order by Palestine.
