Turkey and Israel hold first talks since flotilla

Tel Aviv, 01 July-(ANA)-Israel says it has held its first high-level meeting with Turkey since the latest row between the former allies over Israel's killing of Turkish activists on an aid-ship heading for Gaza.

An Israeli spokesman said the meeting had taken place in secret between the Turkish foreign minister and the Israeli trade minister.

The spokesman said the meeting was at Turkey's request, but Turkey has not confirmed this.

Israel's Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has accused his Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of undermining his authority by arranging the meeting without telling him.

The two men involved - Turkey's Ahmet Davutoglu and Israel's Benjamin Ben Eliezer - are reportedly on good terms.

There are conflicting reports about where the meeting took place, with one source saying Switzerland and another Brussels.

Turkey had threatened to limit economic and defence ties with Israel, after it carried out a raid on a flotilla of boats trying to reach Gaza in late May.

Nine people, mostly Turkish activists, died when Israeli troops stormed a ship.(ANA)

FA/ANA/01 July 2010-----