Israel appoints ambassador to Turkey in sign of warming ties

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has announced the appointment of a new ambassador to Turkey. It is the latest sign of warming relations between the two countries following more than a decade-long rift. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that Irit Lillian, a senior diplomat already posted to Ankara, will serve as the new ambassador. She is the first person to hold the job since 2018. Once-warm relations began to deteriorate after the election of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an outspoken critic of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. In a sign of rapprochement, Israel’s president visited Turkey to meet with Erdogan. And in June, the two countries said they were restoring full diplomatic relations.