Turkey names envoy to Israel as 2 nations end spat

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has named his country’s ambassador to Israel, a day after Israeli officials appointed their envoy to Ankara, as the countries move to restore ties that were downgraded following a deadly Israeli raid on a Turkish vessel.

Erdogan said Wednesday Turkey had appointed diplomat Kemal Okem, a foreign policy adviser to the prime minister, as ambassador to Israel.

The return of ambassadors is part of a reconciliation deal the two nations reached earlier this year that ended six years of animosity. Both countries had recalled their envoys a year after the spat over the Israeli raid on an aid ship trying to breach the blockade of Gaza.

Israel on Tuesday, named Eitan Naeh, a diplomat who had previously served in Turkey, as its ambassador.

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