Israel leaves ambassador to Turkey post vacant after envoy’s retirement amid sharp tensions

Israel has not appointed a new ambassador to Turkey following the recent retirement of its previous envoy amid escalating tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara, leaving the post vacant despite maintaining full diplomatic ties between the countries remaining, Channel 12 reports.

Irit Lillian, who was appointed Israel’s ambassador to Ankara in 2022, returned to Israel following the outbreak of the war against Hamas after the October 7, 2023, attack due to security concerns. Turkey subsequently recalled its own ambassador from Israel.

Since then, Lillian had continued managing ties with Turkish officials on a professional level from Israel, passing messages between the sides and handling issues involving Israeli citizens in Turkey, according to the Hebrew network.

However, Lillian retired several weeks ago, and the Foreign Ministry has given the impression that there is currently “no rush” to appoint a replacement, the report says.

The Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s office do not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Times of Israel on the report.

Israel’s relations with Turkey have drastically deteriorated following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rise to power and even further since the start of the Gaza war, and have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks over harsh rhetoric from Turkish officials and the potential sale of American F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.