Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks came shortly after Israel's Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer met with Turkish officials. Ben-Eliezer said Israel wants to improve ties, and Turkey can help solve problems in the Middle East.

Erdogan complained that Israel has not lifted its blockade of the Gaza Strip despite international calls to do so. He criticized Israel for not allowing Turkey to help with reconstruction efforts.

Turkey, a predominantly Muslim but secular state, has long been Israel's closest ally in the Muslim world and mediated months of indirect talks between Israel and Syria last year.

But ties deteriorated after Erdogan, who heads an Islamic-oriented government, criticized Israel's offensive in Gaza and complained about the heavy Palestinian death toll. The Turkish-mediated indirect talks between Syria and Israel were put on hold because of the dispute over the Gaza offensive.

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Associated Press Writer Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara contributed to this report.