Turkey’s new ambassador to Israel presented his credentials to President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on Wednesday, officially filling a role that has been vacant for more than four years.
Sakir Ozkan Torunler, who arrived in Israel in November, is a seasoned diplomat who previously served as Turkey’s consul general in Jerusalem – effectively its ambassador to the Palestinians – and was most recently ambassador to India.
In the garden of the presidential residence, an IDF band played the Turkish national anthem as the Turkish flag was raised. Torunler then walked the red carpet into the building where he handed the letter to the waiting president.
In his speech with Torunler after receiving the letter, Herzog invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Israel.
Pointing to the potential for cooperation in tourism, education, energy, science, culture and agriculture, Herzog said, “It is a relationship that has known crises in the past, but is now, to our happiness, a very encouraging one.” is on the way.”
In his Turkish-language speech, Torunler stressed the importance of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount, but did not specifically mention the Palestinian issue.
Turkish Ambassador to Israel Sakir Ozkan Torunler (L) shaking hands with President Isaac Herzog, January 11, 2023. (Lazar Berman/The Times of Israel)
Last week Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu Told His Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen said National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount the day before was “unacceptable”.
In his speech, Torunler also expressed Turkey’s hope that bilateral trade would increase to $15 billion in the near future. In 2021, that figure to stand At $7.7 billion, an increase of nearly 30% over the previous year.
In the guest book of the presidential residence, Torunlar wrote that he believed “the friendly relations that already exist between our two countries” would continue to expand.
Turkish Ambassador Sakir Torunlar signs President’s residence guest book, expresses confidence that bilateral ties will continue to grow pic.twitter.com/jau1CvpBjP
— Lazar Berman (@Lazar_Berman) January 11, 2023
Ambassadors from Australia, the Philippines, El Salvador and Korea also presented their credentials to Herzog earlier on Wednesday.
In early December, Torunlar gave a copy of his letter of confidence to Gil Haskell, head of state protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, allowing him to work.
In May 2018, Turkey recalled its ambassador and asked Israel to leave to protest Israel’s response to riots on the Gaza border, which left dozens of Palestinians dead.
In August last year, Israel and Turkey announced Full renewal of diplomatic relations.
The following month, Israel announced that Irit Lilian, a senior diplomat who played a key role in Israel–Turkey reconciliation, would serve as the next ambassador to Turkey. he presented his identity card For Erdogan two weeks ago in Ankara.
Lillian was Israel’s charge d’affaires in Ankara from February 2021, during which the two sides moved slowly but steadily to restore full diplomatic relations.
Israel was a longtime regional ally of Turkey before ties soured after Erdogan’s election.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul May 18, 2018. (AFP Photo/Ozan Kose)
Tensions escalated in 2010 during a commando raid on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara, part of a blockade-busting flotilla, that killed 10 Turkish workers in a violent scuffle after Israeli soldiers attacked aboard the ship.
Despite an official apology by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Erdogan accused the Jewish state of “keeping Hitler’s spirit alive” during Operation Defensive Shield in July 2014 and called it a “terrorist state”.
Relations later recovered somewhat, but both countries withdrew their ambassadors in 2018 after Erdogan accused Israel of “state terrorism” and “genocide”, when dozens of Palestinians were killed in Gaza riots in May of that year. The death occurred after then-US President Donald Trump controversially moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Diplomatic signals over the past year indicated Erdogan was seeking to ease tensions with Israel, Herzog Visited Ankara was on an official visit in March and was welcomed into the capital by a full military procession.
Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid Visited Ankara when he was foreign minister last June, where he met Cavusoglu. After high-level talks aimed at strengthening the countries’ reconciliation, Lapid praised Turkey’s security cooperation in thwarting an Iranian plot to kidnap or kill Israeli citizens in Istanbul.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid speak to the media after talks in Ankara, Turkey, June 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilisi)
Erdogan has been seeking to cool ties with Israel and other regional rivals in a bid to ease Turkey’s growing political and economic isolation.
The Turkish currency has fallen in recent years, with elections due this year leaving Turkey in economic turmoil.
