Israel appointed a new ambassador to Turkey today, the first time the post has been filled since 2010.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry today appointed Eitan Na’eh as Israel’s new ambassador to Turkey. The appointment is the latest step in the softening of relations between the two countries.
Turkey had cut ties with Israel in 2010 when Israeli troops raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and killed 10 Turkish civilians in international waters.
After five-year impasse, Israel appoints ambassador to Turkey https://t.co/jasiTRSn3t pic.twitter.com/HEjamK50ma
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) November 15, 2016
Eitan Naeh had served as the deputy head of mission in the UK for the past two years. For nearly a year he was acting ambassador because of delays in Ambassador Mark Regev’s taking over the top job. This is not his first posting to Ankara; early in his career he served in a junior position at the embassy there.
Ankara and Tel Aviv began reconciliation earlier this year following the payment of $20 million by Israel into a fund set up by Ankara from which compensation will be paid to the families of the Turkish nationals killed during the Mavi Marmara raid.
However, a Turkish condition to end the Israeli siege on Gaza was never met, leaving 2 million Palestinians under a hermetic siege for nearly 10 years.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
