Israel, Turkey restore ties
Israel and Turkey announced the resumption of full diplomatic ties yesterday, following years of strained relations between the Mediterranean nations.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed the diplomatic breakthrough as an "important asset for regional stability and very important economic news for the citizens of Israel".
Lapid's office said the diplomatic development will see ambassadors and consuls general posted to the two countries once more.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the return of ambassadors "is important to improve bilateral ties".
But he cautioned that closer ties with Israel should not be interpreted as Ankara "giving up on the Palestinian cause".
"As we have always said, we will continue to defend the rights of Palestinians," Cavusoglu added.
Cavusoglu in May became the first Turkish foreign minister to visit Israel in 15 years, during a trip which also saw him meet the Palestinian leadership in the occupied West Bank.
Bilateral relations began to fray in 2008, following an Israeli military operation in Gaza.
Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said observers should be "under no illusion" that bilateral ties will be as good as they were during the 1990s.
"As long as Erdogan is in power there will be a certain amount of hostility from Turkey towards Israel, because of his Islamist connection. He will continue to support Hamas for instance," he told AFP.
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