Turkey sends Israelis home

TURKEY expelled Israel’s ambassador and suspended military co-operation with the Jewish state yesterday after a UN report on the deaths of nine Turks in an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound ship failed to trigger an apology.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference all diplomatic staff above the level of second secretary would be sent home by Wednesday. Turkey would also freeze military pacts with its erstwhile ally.

The rift between comes despite US efforts to secure a rapprochement between two regional powers whose cooperation it needs to address changes sweeping the Middle East. Both share a border with Syria.