Turkish envoy to Israel in Ankara for consultations

By Tugcenur Yilmaz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s ambassador to Israel arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for consultations following the killings perpetrated by Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border.

Kemal Okem's plane landed at 1.05 p.m. local time (1005GMT) at Ankara's Esenboga International Airport.

On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said the Turkish government had recalled envoys in Tel Aviv and Washington for consultations.

On the same day, thousands of Palestinians had converged on the Gaza Strip’s eastern border to mark the passage of 70 years since “The Catastrophe” -- referring to the creation of Israel in 1948.

They were also protesting the relocation of Washington’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which also took place on Monday.

Israeli forces deployed along the border responded to the peaceful protests with live ammunition, leaving at least 60 protesters dead and hundreds more injured.