Amid growing tensions with Turkey over Gaza and Syria, Israel has appointed a new diplomatic representative to Ankara, even as its embassy in the Turkish capital remains largely inactive because of security concerns.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has appointed Joel Lion as chargé d’affaires in Turkey, an Israeli official told Middle East Eye on Wednesday.
Lion previously served as Israel’s first resident ambassador to Moldova, holding the position until April 2025. He also served as Israel’s non-resident ambassador to Armenia until August 2026.
The post of Israeli ambassador to Turkey had remained vacant following the retirement of Irit Lillian earlier this year. After taking up his new assignment, Lion traveled to Ankara on Wednesday and presented his credentials to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
The Israeli official said the limited operations of the embassy in Ankara were due to security concerns rather than political considerations. According to the official, the embassy has not been formally closed and local employees continue to work in Turkey.
The official said both sides had agreed that the embassy should remain closed because of the security situation.
Lion’s visit is being viewed as the first trip to Turkey by a senior Israeli official since Israeli personnel were withdrawn from Ankara and Istanbul toward the end of 2023.
Gaza War Deepens Strains
Relations between Turkey and Israel had shown signs of improvement in 2022 and 2023, but deteriorated rapidly following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
After Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza, Ankara initially condemned the operation. Turkey later described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and imposed trade restrictions on Israel in 2024.
Turkey and Israel Also Clash Over Syria
Tensions between the two countries have also intensified over Syria since the beginning of this year.
Last month, Israel carried out a strike on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northern Syria, located about 70 kilometers from the Turkish border.
Israel said Turkey was preparing to deploy air-defense systems at the base. According to Israel, such a deployment could restrict its freedom to conduct air operations in the region.
Turkey is reportedly hoping that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defeat in the country’s general election expected in October could create an opportunity to revive dialogue between the two countries.
However, the Israeli official suggested that Netanyahu could remain in power by forming a coalition with other political parties.
The official said that if such a political shift takes place in Israel, it could also lead to significant changes in the country’s policy toward the Middle East.
For now, however, the Israeli official identified what he described as anti-Israel “incitement” in Turkish media as one of the biggest obstacles to improving relations between the two countries.
