Israel–Turkey relations
Israel |
Turkey |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Israel, Ankara | Embassy of Turkey, Tel Aviv |
| Envoy | |
| Ambassador Irit Lillian | Ambassador Şakir Özkan Torunlar |
The State of Israel and the Republic of Turkey formally established diplomatic relations in March 1949. Less than a year after the Israeli Declaration of Independence, Turkey recognized Israeli sovereignty, making it the world's first Muslim-majority country to do so. Both countries gave high priority to bilateral cooperation in the areas of diplomacy and military/strategic ties, while sharing concerns with respect to the regional instabilities in the Middle East.
In recent decades, particularly under Turkey's Erdoğan administration, the two countries' relationship with each other has deteriorated considerably. However, diplomatic ties were reinstated after a normalization initiative in mid-2022. Relations soured again after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, with Turkey condemning Israel and backing Hamas.
On 13 November 2024, Erdoğan announced that Turkey was severing all its diplomatic relations with Israel due to Israel's reluctance to end the Gaza war.