Israel did not intend to harm relations with Turkey- minister

Israel had no intention of harming relations with Turkey, who has suspended its brokering efforts to organize peace talks between Syria and Israel because of the air assault, a minister said Tuesday. The Israeli minister also said his country was forced to respond to the Hamas attacks.Â

 

Isaac Hertzog, minister for Welfare and Social Services, said Israel understood Turkey's reaction to Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip.

"We had no intention of embarrassing the Turkish prime minister or the Turkish people," he told hurriyet.com.tr.

Turkey announced Monday it was ending efforts to organize peace talks between Israel and Syria over the Israeli offensive.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday denounced Israel's deadly air assault as a "crime against humanity" and called an end. 

Erdogan said he was appalled that the attacks came as his country was helping mediate peace talks between Syria and Israel. He said the attack on Gaza was a "show of disrespect" towards Turkey and cancelled a planned call to Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert on the future of the talks.  

Olmert was in Turkey last week to hold talks with Erdogan and Turkish Preisdent Abdullah Gul regarding the Turkey mediated indirect talks between Syria and Israel.

Olmert visited Turkey on Dec. 22, but Israel decided to conduct an operation on Dec.24, Hertzog said.

"Hamas launched a very heavy attack on on Israel. We had to protect our people," he added.

He also said Israel was sure that it would again gain Turkey's confidence in the future.