The Israeli Cabinet approved the aviation agreement recently made with Türkiye, which came among the steps taken as part of the normalization of relations, paving the way for Israeli airlines to resume flights to Türkiye after a 15-year absence.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Sunday in a Twitter statement that the agreement would benefit Israeli citizens and improve relations between the two countries.
“Today we approved an agreement in the government to establish aviation links between Turkey and Israel. Israeli airlines will be able to take off from Istanbul and other points in Turkey from now on,” he wrote.
“This is an important strategic move for stability and prosperity in the region and will contribute significantly to the development of relations between the two countries. The next step is to appoint ambassadors,” Ofir Gendelman, a spokesperson for the Israeli premier, meanwhile added.
Israel and Türkiye on July 7 signed a bilateral civil aviation agreement, their first since 1951, as part of a recent warming of diplomatic ties.
The new period was marked by the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara in March.
The aviation deal, meanwhile, was part of the decision to expand and develop bilateral relations made during meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Lapid and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Israel and Ankara.
“Aviation relations are a strategic tool for Israel’s economic development and of particular importance toward Israel's regional position,” Israeli Transport Minister Merav Michaeli said back in July.
Türkiye is known as being one of the most popular destinations for Israeli tourists.
Türkiye and Israel withdrew their respective ambassadors in 2010 after Israeli forces stormed a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians that broke an Israeli blockade. The incident resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish activists.
Relations broke down again in 2018 when Türkiye, angered by the United States moving its embassy in Israel to West Jerusalem, once more recalled its ambassador, prompting Israel to respond in kind.
The two countries have begun work on restoring their mutual diplomatic representation to the ambassador level, according to previous statements by Çavuşoğlu.
