A Turkish warship docked in Haifa port on Saturday for the first time in 12 years, as part of a NATO drill.
According to a spokesperson for the port, the TCG Kemalreis, a Barbaros-class frigate, is expected to remain docked for several days alongside a US missile destroyer ship, the USS Forrest Sherman.
No drills or other interactions are planned between the Israeli army and the Turkish ship, which is considered one of the most modern vessels in Türkiye’s navy.
“The docking is part of Israel’s cooperation with and support of NATO,” an Israeli army statement read.
Israel and Türkiye decided in August to restore full diplomatic ties and would reappoint ambassadors, four years after they summoned each other’s envoy.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid have held a phone call expressing their satisfaction with the progress in ties and congratulating each other on the decision to appoint ambassadors.
According to reports, Erdogan is also interested in appointing an ambassador before Israel's elections in November. This is partly because of his concern that if Benjamin Netanyahu returns to office, the normalization process could stall.
In addition to that, flights between the two countries will resume soon.
