Israel and Turkey Announce Normalized Relations
Israel and Turkey will restore full normalization of relations and will return ambassadors to each country, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced. The two nations’ relationship has been characterized by tension, with the threat of war always present, particularly over the last decade. But Turkey has shown interest in warming relations with Israel since President Isaac Herzog took office. His March visit to Ankara, conversations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and visits by both countries’ foreign ministers helped bring the nations closer together.
One incident that united Israel and Turkey came this summer when Iran-backed terrorists attempted to abduct and murder Israeli tourists in Istanbul. Israeli and Turkish security worked together to thwart the threat and arrest 10 terrorists.
Herzog said that “partnership and being good neighbors in the Eastern Mediterranean is important to all of us. Members of all religions, Muslims, Jews, and Christians, can and must live [together] peacefully.”
Because of its size, capabilities, and relationships with Israeli enemies like Hamas and Hezbollah, Turkey could be one of Israel’s most dangerous adversaries. That’s why this is such a monumental action that could lead to greater stability not just in Israel but throughout the Middle East. Turkey isn’t likely to abandon the ties it already holds with those terrorist organizations, but establishing these relations should safeguard the Jewish state against attacks from or sponsored by the regional superpower. This decision should hold up over the long term too. The nations have had good moments in the past—Turkey was the first Muslim nation to recognize Israel’s independence in 1949—and the present—both nations’ leaderships have shown a willingness to cooperate in recent years. We hope this will lead to more peace and safety in the homeland of God’s Chosen People.
