Türkiye appoints envoy to Israel

ANKARA: Türkiye has appointed an ambassador to Israel after a gap of four years in the latest step to normalise ties with the Jewish state.

Sakir Ozkan Torunlar, a veteran diplomat who had served as Türkiye’s consul general in Jerusalem between 2010 and 2014, was named to the post at the weekend, Turkish media reported.

Ankara withdrew its ambassador to Israel in May 2018 and dismissed the Israeli envoy over the killing of dozens of Palestinians.

But Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a congratulatory letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his victory in elections held earlier this month. |