Diplomatic rift between Israel, Turkey

Israel said Saturday that it was recalling its diplomats from Turkey over “increasingly harsh statements” coming from the government in Ankara.

The announcement came after Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told a massive protest crowd in Istanbul that his government was preparing to declare Israel a “war criminal” due to its actions in the Gaza Strip. 

Israel previously removed its diplomats out of Turkey for security reasons. But Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that they were being ordered to pull out now for a reassessment of the ties between Turkey and Israel. 

Cohen’s statement suggested a move that could sever the newly restored diplomatic ties between the two countries. There was no immediate response from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

[AP]