Turkey: All Senior Israeli Diplomats Must Leave Country

Turkey on Monday informed Israel's top diplomat in Ankara that nearly all senior Israeli embassy personnel must leave the country by Wednesday. Ella Ofek, the deputy to the Israeli ambassador to Turkey and the person currently in charge of the Israeli embassy in Ankara, was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday. Ofek was informed that all Israeli diplomats ranked above the level of second secretary, including the Israeli occupation forces military attaché, must depart Turkey by Wednesday. The only Israeli diplomats permitted to remain include embassy spokesman Nizar Amir and personnel who provide consular services. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Israeli-Turkish relations crisis with Turkey, saying he "hopes a way will be found to overcome the differences with Turkey," and adding that "we do not want a further downgrading of the relations." On Monday, some 40 Israelis on board a Turkish Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Istanbul were separated from the rest of the passengers upon arrival in Turkey and were questioned at length by Turkish police, marking a highly unusual event against the backdrop of a deepening diplomatic crisis. However, senior defense ministry official Amos Gilad told Israeli public radio that Israel's military attache will remain at the Israeli embassy in Turkey. "There's no break with Turkey: the proof is that our military attache in Ankara will remain in his office and that consular services there will continue to function," he said. "A solution to this crisis must be found," he added, saying Israel should seek to resolve it through its European and US connections, as well as through NATO. "Turkey has a lot to lose with an extremist policy," he said.

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