Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed bilateral relations and regional issues with Israeli President Isaac Herzog over the phone, the Turkish presidency said in a statement on Friday.

Erdogan stated that he considers the decision to appoint an ambassador mutually to be an "important step" in the positive direction of Türkiye-Israel relations, adding that Türkiye is in favor of developing cooperation and dialogue on the basis of respect for mutual sensitivities.

Türkiye and Israel announced on August 17 that they had decided to raise diplomatic relations to the highest level and to mutually appoint ambassadors.