Turkish media announced on Friday that Turkey appointed Shaker Ozcan Torunlar as ambassador to Israel after this position was vacant for four years, in the latest step towards restoring relations with the Hebrew state. This was according to a presidential decree.

It is also noted that Shaker Ozcan Torunlar, the veteran diplomat, held the position of Turkey's Consul General in Jerusalem between 2010 and 2014.

The vacancy of this position dates back to when Ankara withdrew its ambassador from Israel in May 2018 and expelled the Israeli envoy after dozens of Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army. This prompted Israel to reciprocate by sending the Turkish consul in Jerusalem back to his country.

Also, relations between the two sides were strained after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Israel's policy towards the Palestinians under the governments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Erdogan sent a congratulatory message to Netanyahu after his bloc's victory in the elections held earlier this month. Thus, friendly relations between the two countries were restored with the exchange of ambassadors once again.