Turkey To Exchange Diplomats With Israel, Egypt Once Relations Fully Normalized - Erdogan

Turkey will exchange ambassadors with Israel and Egypt as soon as relations between the countries are fully normalized, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th November, 2021) Turkey will exchange ambassadors with Israel and Egypt as soon as relations between the countries are fully normalized, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

"As soon as we make a decision (on full normalization of ties with Israel and Egypt), then within a certain amount of time we will appoint ambassadors. These countries (Israel and Egypt) do not have ambassadors in Turkey at the moment, only charges d'affaires are appointed. We will take these steps gradually. This have already been done with the UAE and similar actions will follow with these countries (Israel and Egypt)," Erdogan told reporters as quoted by Turkish Kanal 7 broadcaster.

Turkey-Egypt relations were severed after the overthrow of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and the bloody hostilities that followed. Erdogan strongly opposed the actions of the Egyptian military against the ousted president's supporters. Turkey and Egypt withdrew their ambassadors in August 2013 and declared them persona non grata.

Turkey and Israel expelled their envoys over Gaza Strip protests and violence in May 2018. The violence occurred amid the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment and the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. During protests, 52 Palestinians died and more than 2,000 were injured.