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Thursday, October 19, 2023
Turkey says Israel pulls out its diplomats due to security concerns amid war
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Israel has withdrawn all of its diplomats from Turkey over concerns for their security, according to two Turkish officials.
The move follows a spate of protests outside Israeli diplomatic missions in Turkey, and after some protesters tried to storm the ambassador’s residence in Ankara and a building housing the consulate in Istanbul.
The officials say that diplomats including ambassador Irit Lillian have already left Turkey. They insist the diplomats had left over safety concerns and that their withdrawal was not political.
According to Hebrew media reports, Israeli diplomats in Jordan, Morocco and Bahrain have also left over similar concerns.
Israel issued an alert earlier this week calling on its citizens to leave Turkey amid concerns over reprisal attacks.
The Times of Israel Community.