Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have announced the full normalization of relations between the two countries, Jerusalem Post has reported.
According to local Turkish media, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and Director-General of the Foreign Ministry Alon Ushpiz completed the agreement to resume full diplomatic relations in a telephone call on Tuesday.
The full restoration of relations between Israel and Turkey will include the reassignment of ambassadors and general consuls.
President Erdogan recently stated that restoring full contacts will “allow us to help our Palestinian brothers” in a speech to diplomats in Ankara.
Prime Minister Lapid said that “renewing relations with Turkey is an important asset for regional stability and important economic news for the citizens of Israel”.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s office stated that reinstating diplomats is “the continuation of the positive trend in developing relations in the past year, since President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Ankara, and the mutual visits of the foreign ministers in Jerusalem and Ankara”.
According to the Isreali PMO, “Improving relations will contribute to deepening the relations between the two nations, to increasing economic, trade and tourism connections and regional stability.”
Relations between both countries significantly improved when they cooperated after terrorists supported by Iran tried to kidnap and kill Israeli tourists in Istanbul.
In order to stop the threat, security officers in Jerusalem and Ankara worked together, leading to more than 10 arrests.
Turkey has been attempting to mend ties with Israel in recent years, and Herzog’s victory in elections further helped those efforts.
