Irit Lillian, who’s served as charge d’affaires throughout Israel-Turkey reconciliation, says ties designed to quietly handle disagreements, including over Hamas office in Istanbul
On Wednesday, Israel and Turkey announced they would be renewing full diplomatic ties after two years of work to patch up their damaged relationship.
Irit Lillian, Israel’s charge d’affaires in Ankara, has played a central role in the process since her appointment in February 2021.
“From the beginning, it was clear that we were building a process in which we agree to disagree,” Lillian told The Times of Israel during a Thursday interview.
“We know that there are a number of points that we currently don’t agree on. We can move forward and solve them later on.”
A major outstanding point of contention is the Hamas office in Istanbul, which Ankara insists only deals with political activities. Israel charges that Hamas uses its hub in Turkey to direct terror attacks and has publicly demanded that the office be shuttered.
timesofisrael.com