Following the steady improvement of bilateral relations, Israel and Turkiye have decided to fully restore diplomatic relations and return each other's ambassadors and consul generals to the two countries, according to a statement from Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office.
According to the statement, the improved relations will help to strengthen ties between the two peoples, expand economic, trade, and cultural relations, and strengthen regional stability.
In response to Israel's announcement, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that despite the full restoration of Turkish-Israeli relations, Turkiye would not abandon the Palestinian cause.
After more than a decade of strained relations, Israel and Turkey have recently ushered in a new era in their relations, highlighted by Israeli President Isaac Herzog's historic visit to Ankara in March. The deterioration of relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv began in 2010 with the case of the Mavi Marmara ship, in which Israeli forces carried out a bloody raid on the Turkish ship, which was carrying humanitarian aid and was on route to the Gaza Strip to break the Israeli blockade.
In 2018, Turkey and Israel recalled their ambassadors to Tel Aviv and Ankara, respectively, after Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinians during protests on the Gaza-Israel border against the Trump administration's decision to open the US embassy in Jerusalem.
