Turkey, Israel expel envoy in tit-for-tat

Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-16 02:49:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan
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ANKARA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Tuesday demanded the Israeli ambassador to leave the country over Israeli violence on the Gaza border.

In response, Israel ordered the Turkish consul general in Jerusalem to leave for a period of time.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador in Ankara Eitan Naeh and asked him to return to his country "for a while."

Hours after Ankara's decision, Israel demanded the Turkish consul general in Jerusalem to leave for an unspecified period of time, Daily Sabah reported.

The consul in Jerusalem has been summoned and was told to return to Turkey "for consultations for a period of time," the Turkish Foreign Ministry's spokesman said.

Kemal Okem, the Turkish ambassador to Tel Aviv, has arrived in Ankara after being recalled for consultations on Monday.

Turkey strongly condemned the U.S. for opening its embassy in Jerusalem and Israel for killing Palestinian protesters on the border rallies.

A total of 60 Palestinians were killed and nearly 2,000 others wounded in clashes with Israeli security troops Monday on the border between Israel and Gaza, amid mass demonstrations to protest over the U.S. move of its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

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