Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced Aug. 17 that Israel and Turkey will restore full diplomatic relations and reappoint ambassadors for the first time since 2018. That year, Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel after the latter killed dozens of Palestinians during the so-called return marches that started in the Gaza Strip on March 30, marking Land Day.

Following a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Lapir tweeted Aug. 17, “The resumption of diplomatic relations with Turkey is an important factor for regional stability and major economic news for Israeli citizens and we will continue to work to strengthen Israel’s position in the world.”

At a press conference in Ankara on the same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, “The decision to exchange ambassadors between Turkey and Israel came within the framework of a joint decision on resuming diplomatic relations between the two sides to the highest levels.”

He stressed that reappointing ambassadors in Turkey and Israel was important for the development of bilateral relations, adding, “We will continue to defend the rights of Palestine, Jerusalem and Gaza, and it is important that our diplomatic messages be transmitted directly to Tel Aviv through the Turkish ambassador to Israel, who will be named at a future stage.”