ANKARA, Aug 30 (AFP) - Three deputies from Turkey`s national parliament left Ankara for Israel Monday to assess the state of bilateral relations, severely strained in recent months, the Anatolia news agency reported.
"We want to go there ourselves to see the most recent changes with our own eyes," said one of the deputies, Omer Celik, in a press conference.
All three deputies are thought to be close to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Relations between Israel and Turkey have been strained since May when Erdogan described Israeli actions in the occupied territories as "state terror," a comment Israel described as "extremely regrettable."
Celik, however, insisted that there was no crisis in Israeli-Turkish relations despite the fallout from this sharply-worded exchange.
During the three-day visit, the deputies from Turkey`s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) are scheduled to meet with Israel`s Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Anatolia said. They are also set to meet with Palestinian officials.
Turkey, a mainly Muslim but strictly secular nation, has been Israel`s main regional ally since 1996 when the two nations signed a military cooperation accord, provoking anger in Arab countries and Iran.