Turkey did not ask Israel for consent to exchange ambassadors, JPost reports, citing a representative of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

An anonymous senior Turkish official told Israel Hayom that Turkey this week announced to Israel that it is ready to send an ambassador to Tel Aviv if an Israeli envoy is sent to Ankara. However, the MFA said it had not received a request from any Turkish officials on the matter. 

Earlier in March, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was in talks with Turkey on natural gas in the Mediterranean, a point of contention between Greece and Cyprus, with which Israel is cooperating.

Relations between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated in the past 10 

According to the source, Erdogan has a system through which he is trying to strengthen economic ties between Israel and Turkey, while supporting Islamist extremists who attack Israel.

After establishing ties in 1949, Turkey and Israel have been allies for decades. But in recent years, this relationship has been shaken.

Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Israel and expelled Israeli ambassadors several times over the past 70 years, most recently in 2018, after the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Turkey also criticized the Abraham Accords on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the four Arab countries.