Israel has avoided diplomatic difficulties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by appointing a senior diplomat as a chargé d’affaires to head its mission in Turkey rather than push for the acceptance of an ambassador.

The appointment of an ambassador would have required the chosen envoy to present their credentials to Erdogan, who is locked in a war of words with Israeli government ministers. A lower-ranking chargé d’affaires merely has to obtain an approval of their posting from the Turkish foreign ministry.

Israel has opted to appoint veteran diplomat Joel Lion to head the Turkey mission, an unnamed Israeli official on September 9 told Ragip Soylu, the Ankara bureau chief of Middle East Eye. Lion, a former Israeli envoy to Moldova and Armenia, arrived in the Turkish capital on the same day.

Earlier this year, Israeli ambassador to Ankara Irit Lillian retired.

Convenient work-around for Erdogan

“If Israel were to attempt appointing a full ambassador directly, Erdogan would not grant official approval. Under current domestic political conditions, he simply wouldn't grant it. Because the Israelis are well aware of this, they appointed a former ambassador as chargé d'affaires to bypass the need for an official approval,” Ahmet Erozan, a former Turkish diplomat and an Iyi Party lawmaker, told Turkish daily Cumhuriyet on September 12.

“The Americans have set the pot on the stove to thaw Turkey-Israel relations and are slowly bringing it to a simmer. Appointing such a high-profile figure as chargé d'affaires, even if he will not actually reside in Ankara, signals a clear shift into motion,” he reportedly added.

Security matter, not politics

Israeli diplomats and security officials vacated the embassy in Ankara and the consulate in Istanbul in late 2023 citing severe security risks. While local staff continue administrative operations, Soylu’s unnamed Israeli official reiterated that the embassy’s physical closure remains “purely a security matter, not politics,” adding that both governments concur on current protocols.

“Both sides agree that the embassy should stay closed over the security issues,” he was also quoted as saying.

Lion simply came to Ankara to present his credentials. He then returned to Jerusalem. He will serve from Israel's new capital, together with his embassy staff.

Netanyahu defeat could reopen dialogue

Ankara has the general expectation that if Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is defeated in the upcoming October Israeli general election, the Israelis may reopen dialogue between Turkey and Israel, Soylu observed, though he cited no sources in relation to his conclusion.

His unnamed Israeli official, meanwhile, argued that Netanyahu’s government could survive by forming a different coalition with other parties.

Such a change could bring about broader shifts in government policy towards the region that surrounds Israel, he added.

The official also contended that the biggest problem between the two countries was “incitement against Israel” in the Turkish media.