Israeli Consulate to be opened in Izmir

Israeli consul in Turkey Moshe Kamkhi said to journalists that new consulate will be opened in Turkish city of Izmir in the near future, Zaman newspaper reported.

Kamkhi didn't call the name of the future consul, adding that it is not excluded that the honorary consul can be a diplomat from Turkey.

Simultaneously Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Gabi Ashkenazi held talks with his Turkish counterpart Ilker Bashbug in Ankara.

Ashkenazi became the first senior Israeli official, after Ehud Barak, who visited Turkey after a diplomatic scandal between the two countries.

The scandal broke out on Tuesday because of Israeli Deputy Foreign MinisterDaniel Ayalon's abusive language towards Turkish diplomat Oguz Celikkol.

He seated Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol on a sofa lower than his own chair and wouldn't shake his hand in televised images of the meeting.

Ankara assessed Ayalon's acts as "demonstrative abasement" of the ambassador and disrespect to diplomatic traditions and demanded a official apology, threatening otherwise recall the diplomat. Israel offered Turkey an official apology for the incident with the ambassador.

Turkey and Israel are military and political partners, who so far worked closely in the military field. The Turkey - Israel relations have worsened in connection with military operations carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip in December 2008 - January 2009.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in response to the actions of the Israeli army demonstratively left meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, not wishing to be on the same event with Israeli President Shimon Peres in the January 2009.