Turkey TV anger

Turkey is angry about what it calls the discourteous treatment of its ambassador, Oguz Celikkol, in a dispute over a television program.

Ankara's foreign ministry said it expected "an explanation and apology" for "the attitude towards our ambassador."

Celikkol was dressed down on national television in a meeting with Israeli deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon. TV crews and photographers were invited to cover the meeting that took place at Ayalon's parliamentary office to protest against a Turkish TV drama.

In television images that were broadcast extensively in both Israel and Turkey, Ayalon and his aide were pictured sitting on tall chairs, with the Turkish envoy on a lower chair.

In a break from diplomatic procedure, there was no Turkish flag on the table. Celikkol had been told to wait in the corridor ahead of the meeting.

Reprimand over TV show

The reprimand was issued because of a Turkish television drama, Valley of the Wolves, which depicted Israeli diplomats as masterminds of a child-abduction ring.

The Israeli foreign ministry said that it portrayed "Israel and Jews as baby-snatchers and war criminals."

Turkey's foreign ministry has now invited the Israeli ambassador to Ankara, Gabby Levy, to a meeting to express its "annoyance."

"We expect an explanation and apologies from Israeli authorities for the attitude against our Tel Aviv ambassador, Oguz Celikkol, and the way this attitude was reflected," the ministry said in a statement.

Israeli minister unapologetic

In an interview with Israel's Army Radio, Ayalon was unapologetic: "In terms of the diplomatic tactics available, this was the minimum that was warranted given the repeated provocations by political and other players in Turkey."

NATO member Turkey, as a Muslim state, has in the past helped to forge contacts between Israel and the Arab world. Relations have soured since strong criticism of Israel's war in Gaza last year by Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan.

rc/AFP/Reuters/dpa
Editor: Tony Dunham