Turkish-Israeli ties will gain new momentum, Erdoğan tells Herzog
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Israeli President Isaac Herzog attend a press conference after their meeting in Ankara, Turkey, March 9, 2022. (EPA Photo)


The Türkiye-Israel ties will gain new momentum after the appointment of ambassadors, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog in a phone call Friday.

The Turkish and Israeli presidents discussed bilateral relations and regional issues over the phone and Erdoğan expressed that Ankara is in favor of developing cooperation and dialogue on the basis of respect for mutual sensitivities.

Mutually appointing ambassadors is "an important step" toward the positive development of Türkiye-Israel relations, Erdoğan underlined.

Meanwhile, Herzog said on Twitter that he spoke with Erdoğan on the occasion of the restoration of full diplomatic relations, the return of ambassadors and consuls-general, and resumption of Israeli flights to Türkiye.

"We welcomed the development and expressed our hopes for future progress," he added.

Herzog also thanked Erdoğan for his "critical contribution" to the agreement for the export of grain from Ukraine and for his recent meetings with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Türkiye and Israel decided to fully restore diplomatic ties, and reappoint ambassadors after over four years.

Türkiye and Israel will mutually reappoint ambassadors, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced on Wednesday.

"The steps we would take to normalize relations include mutually reappointing of ambassadors ... Türkiye decided to appoint an ambassador to Israel, to Tel Aviv," he told a news conference with his Kyrgyz counterpart Jeenbek Kulubaev in Ankara.

Çavuşoğlu said the process will begin with determining who will be appointed.

"We will continue to defend the rights of Palestine, Jerusalem and Gaza, and it is important that our messages are conveyed directly to Tel Aviv at the ambassador level," the foreign minister added.

Herzog's visit to Türkiye in March, followed by reciprocal visits by both countries' foreign ministers, contributed to easing relations after more than a decade of tensions.