First Israeli Ambassador to Turkey since 2010 Arrives in Ankara
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israel's new ambassador to Turkey arrived in the capital Ankara on Thursday, an Israeli embassy official said, to serve as the first official envoy since a six-year spat put diplomatic relations on ice.
Eitan Naeh arrived in the morning, the official, who did not wish to be named, told AFP. Naeh is due to present his letter of credence to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the next few days.
Naeh, who had been serving as deputy head of mission at the Israeli embassy in London, was chosen as ambassador earlier this month by an Israeli regime committee.
A career diplomat, he previously worked at the embassy in Ankara from 1993 to 1997.
Naeh is Tel Aviv's first envoy since Israeli commandos raided a Gaza-bound ship of activists in 2010.
After the raid which killed 10 Turkish activists, relations between Tel Aviv and Ankara plunged to an all-time low with both pulling their envoys out from the respective capitals.
At one point, Erdogan even accused the Israeli leadership of "keeping Hitler's spirit alive".
But the bitter rift came to an end in June after long-running secret talks in third countries with Israel offering $20 million in compensation, an apology over the raid and permission for Turkish aid to reach Gaza.
Last week firefighting planes from Turkey were sent to Israel after bushfires raged.
Turkey this month appointed Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's foreign affairs advisor Kemal Okem as its ambassador to Israel.