UPDATE - Türkiye names new ambassadors, representatives to its missions abroad

UPDATES WITH MORE NAMES; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu and Emre Karaca

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has appointed a host of new ambassadors and permanent representatives at Türkiye's missions abroad, diplomatic sources said Thursday.

Amid the normalization of ties between Türkiye and Israel, Sakir Ozkan Torunlar has been named the new Turkish ambassador to Tel Aviv.

Last week, the Israeli government approved the appointment of Irit Lillian as Israel's new ambassador to Türkiye.

In August, Türkiye and Israel agreed to restore full diplomatic ties and reappoint ambassadors and consuls general after a four-year hiatus.

Additionally, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal has been named Türkiye’s new permanent representative to the United Nations.

Deputy Foreign Minister Faruk Kaymakci, who is also the director for EU Affairs at the ministry, has been named Türkiye's new permanent representative to the European Union.

Zeki Levent Gumrukcu, who heads the ministry’s Directorate-General for the Americas, has been named permanent representative to NATO, as Ambassador Nurdan Bayraktar Golder has been named permanent representative to the Council of Europe.

Koray Ertas, a special adviser to Cavusoglu, has been appointed ambassador in London, while Cagatay Erciyes became the new ambassador to Athens.

Selcuk Unal, the ministry’s director-general for Syria, became the new ambassador to The Hague in the Netherlands, while Nur Sagman was named Türkiye's ambassador to Dakar, Senegal.

Also, Murat Karagoz, director-general for information at the ministry, was named ambassador in Lisbon, Portugal, and Erdem Ozan was named ambassador to Amman, Jordan.

Ufuk Ulutas, head of the ministry’s Center for Strategic Research, has been appointed ambassador to the Vatican, while Cenk Uraz was appointed Türkiye's ambassador in the East African nation of Djibouti.

Other ambassadorial appointments include: Omur Budak to Buenos Aires, Argentina; Baris Tantekin to Vilnius, Lithuania; Gulin Dinc to Oslo, Norway; Berk Baran to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Erdeniz Sen to Valletta, Malta; Engin Yurur to Luxembourg; Ufuk Gezer to Canberra, Australia; and Baris Kalkavan to Podgorica, Montenegro.

In addition, Mustafa Kapucu was posted as ambassador to Astana, Kazakhstan; Halil Ibrahim Akca to Brasilia, Brazil; Fatih Ak to Kampala, Uganda; Hicabi Kirlangic to Tehran, Iran; Ozgur Kivanc Altan to Bucharest, Romania; Mesut Koc to Cotonou, Benin; Talip Kucukcan to Jakarta, Indonesia; Esra Demir to Ottawa, Canada; Metin Feyzioglu to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; Mehmet Raif Karaca to the Republic of Congo; Ibrahim Mete Yagli to Mogadishu, Somalia; Muhammet Hekimoglu to Muscat, Oman; and Ahmet Idem Akay to Botswana.

* Writing and contributions by Merve Aydogan