ANKARA: The reappointment of an Israeli ambassador to Turkey may take place within weeks, the Jewish state's charge d'affaires in Ankara said.

Irit Lillian, the current head of Israel's diplomatic mission in Turkey, told reporters on Friday that she hoped the appointment would happen within a week or two.

Israel "shares views on energy with Turkey," according to Lillian, who asserted that his country will never give up on the Eastern Mediterranean natural gas pipeline project. She emphasised that Israel anticipates the Hamas office in Istanbul to be shut down and claimed that doing so will improve relations between Turkey and Israel.

The Turkish government enjoys cordial ties with Hamas, which controls Gaza and is encircled by Israel. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh held a phone conversation on August 8.
Four years after they ousted each other's ambassador after Israeli troops killed 60 Palestinian protesters during their demonstrations against the inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem, Turkey and Israel agreed last week that they would reappoint diplomats.

Efforts have been made in recent months to improve relations between Turkey and Israel, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog's March visit to Turkey, the first such trip by a senior Israeli official since 2008. They have also discussed piping natural gas from Israel to Europe via Turkey.

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