Türkiye appoints new envoy to Israel after four-year gap

Türkiye appoints new envoy to Israel after four-year gap

ANKARA

Türkiye has appointed an ambassador to Israel after a gap of four years in the latest step towards normalizing ties.

Şakir Özkan Torunlar, a veteran diplomat who had served as Türkiye's consul general in Jerusalem between 2010 and 2014, was named to the post in a presidential decree late on Nov. 11. 

Ankara withdrew its ambassador to Israel in May 2018 and threw out the Israeli envoy over the Israeli army's killing of dozens of Palestinians. Israel riposted by sending back the Turkish consul in Jerusalem.

Ties between the two soured after Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized Israel's policy towards Palestinians under the previous governments of its new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Erdoğan sent a congratulatory letter to Netanyahu after his victory in elections held earlier this month.

LATEST NEWS

  1. Greece pushes green transition on its fragile islands

  2. AI firms seek accords with publishing giants to maintain growth

  3. Competition authority launches probe into Mastercard, Visa

  4. BP announces $7 billion gas project investment in Indonesia

  5. Trudeau to send checks to millions of Canadians

Recommended

Türkiye welcomes ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu as world leaders split over decision

Erdoğan warns of ‘new, bigger war’ after US missile decision

Erdoğan urges NATO to address Russia's nuclear policy shift

Italy aims to ease visa process for Turkish students amid delays

Blinken praises Türkiye's diplomatic efforts to resolve regional conflicts

Erdoğan praises Lula's stance against Israel in G20 talks

Ankara denies Hamas move to Türkiye from Qatar
WORLD

Greece pushes green transition on its fragile islands

Greece this week signed a clean energy deal with the EU in a bid to fast-track the green transition on its fragile islands threatened by overtourism and climate change.
ECONOMY

AI firms seek accords with publishing giants to maintain growth

Publishing giants and generative artificial intelligence companies are striking deals that aim to both protect copyright and provide for the rapidly increasing needs of the AI industry.
SPORTS

Türkiye heads to Nations League playoffs after Montenegro loss

Türkiye spurned the opportunity to finish atop its group in the UEFA Nations League and qualify for League A directly with a 3-1 loss at Montenegro on Nov. 19 night.