Turkish-Israeli diplomatic spat over Gaza descends into tit for tat media 'hazing'

Israel’s ambassador to Turkey ordered to leave country in what is described as 'a deliberate humiliation'

Israel and Turkey have become embroiled in a diplomatic tit for tat exchange as the spat between the former allies continues to escalate over the situation on the Gaza border.

Israel’s ambassador to Turkey, Eitan Na’eh, was ordered to leave the country temporarily and underwent a strict security screening at Istanbul’s airport.

Members of the Turkish press were invited to film the incident, prompting outrage by Israel.

The diplomatic falling out began on Monday, after Israeli troops killed at least 60 Palestinians on the Gaza border, labelled by Turkish President Recep Erdogan as a “genocide”.

“It was a real hazing,” an Israeli source was quoted as saying to local media, according to the Times of Israel.

“It is a deliberate humiliation of an Israeli ambassador in front of the cameras – invited specially by the Turkish government.”

In turn Israel summoned a top Turkish diplomat in Tel Aviv to be reprimanded and invited members of the press to film his entrance.

The meeting in Jerusalem with the Turkish deputy ambassador, Umut Deniz, lasted about 20 minutes. He was asked to present his documents upon entering and made no comment to a crowd of reporters as he left the building.

Mr Deniz then walked to a waiting van, slammed the door shut and it drove away.

Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said Israel expressed “our concern and our dismay at a gross violation of the diplomatic ethics”.

“The images of our ambassador being subjected to an unnecessary security check are spread all over Turkey,” he said.

“This is something we cannot accept, this is something that is totally contrary to diplomatic relations between countries and a public humiliation of an ambassador is something that Israel will not accept under any circumstances.”

The exchanges comes less than two years after the countries reconciled after six years of animosity.

Once close allies in an Arab-dominated neighbourhood, Israel and Turkey’s ties began to decline after President Erdogan, whose party has roots in Turkey’s Islamist movement, first came to power as prime minister in 2003.

Relations imploded in 2010 after a confrontation between Israeli commandos and a Turkish flotilla trying to breach the blockade of Gaza left 10 Turkish activists dead.

Agencies contributed to this report