Turkey
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (right) and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (left) shake hands during a press conference on June 23, 2022 in Ankara, Turkey. Photo: Ozan Kose/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey and Israel are set to strengthen their diplomatic ties by assigning ambassadors to represent the countries, the Turkish foreign minister announced on Thursday, stressing that Ankara and Tel Aviv will continue cooperation in combating possible security threats.
Yair Lapid, incoming prime minister and current foreign minister of Israel on Thursday arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara, received by his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
"The positive dialogue between our countries is once again agreed to be continued with concrete, tangible actions," the state-owned Anadolu Agency cited Cavusoglu as saying in a joint press conference with Lapid.
Lapid addressed the possibility of "returning ambassadors in the near future,” hoping for efforts to be taken towards the quick implementation of the process.
The Israeli foreign minister applauded Turkish intelligence for "foiling an Iranian plot” that targeted Israeli diplomats in Istanbul last week, adding that it was achieved through security and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries. In return, Cavusoglu reassured Lapid that Ankara will continue cooperation with Tel Aviv to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens in Turkey.
Turkish security forces on Friday arrested eight members of an alleged Iranian network, suspected of orchestrating a plan to kidnap and attack Israeli diplomats and tourists in Istanbul, reported Turkish news outlets.
The arrests come days after Israel urged its citizens in Turkey to leave “as soon as possible” over potential Iranian attacks targeting Israelis in the country.
Iran and Israel have been engaged in a shadow war that has recently intensified following a series of high-profile assassinations blamed on Israel. Iranian fighters are also frequently targeted in suspected Israeli strikes in Damascus.
Turkey’s warming up of ties with Israel comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been seeking to restore ties with regional actors amid a weakening economy. On Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Turkey for the first time since Saudi-Turkish relations declined following the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
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