Turkish ambassador returns to Israel

Turkish and Israeli diplomats played down the incident, and a Turkish Embassy official described the ambassador’s three days of consultations in Ankara as "very positive." The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

Diplomatic sources said that the latest developments in the Middle East along with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza plan, approved by the Cabinet last Sunday, were discussed during the consultation talks.

Sources stated that this act would not be counted as a protest act and was in fact routine work.

Turkey is one of Israel’s few friends in the Muslim world. The two countries have close economic and military ties, but relations have been strained in recent weeks, especially following the recent Israeli offensive into Gaza.