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Israel has appointed a new head of mission to Türkiye, an Israeli official told Middle East Eye, even as the Israeli embassy in Ankara remains effectively closed because of ongoing security concerns.
The Israeli foreign ministry has selected Joel Lion as charge d'affaires. Lion presented his credentials to the Turkish foreign ministry in Ankara on Wednesday, marking the first visit by a senior Israeli official to Türkiye since Israel withdrew its diplomatic staff from Ankara and Istanbul in late 2023.
Lion previously served as Israel's first resident ambassador to Moldova, a post he held until April 2025, and as the country's non-resident ambassador to Armenia until August 2026.
His appointment comes after the retirement of Israeli ambassador Irit Lillian earlier this year, which left the ambassador's position in Türkiye unfilled.
According to the Israeli official, the closure of the embassy is strictly a security matter rather than a political one, and the mission has not been formally shuttered since local staff have continued working in the country. "Both sides agree that the embassy should stay closed over the security issues," the official said.
Israel and Türkiye enjoyed a brief improvement in ties during 2022 and 2023, but relations have deteriorated sharply since Oct. 7 2023 and the war in Gaza that followed.
Ankara condemned Israel's military campaign early on, later calling it genocide, and imposed trade sanctions on Israel in 2024.
The friction has since spread beyond diplomatic statements. Tensions over Syria escalated this year after Israeli strikes last month hit the Abu al-Duhur military air base in northern Syria, located roughly 70 kilometres from the Turkish border.
Israel said the strikes were prompted by what it described as Turkish preparations to station air defence systems at the base, which Israel argued could constrain its ability to carry out air operations in the area.
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