Netanyahu: Turkey can't be an honest broker

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has declared that he does not want Turkey to act as a mediator in future talks with Syria.

Ties between Israel and Turkey began to sour in January when Ankara strongly condemned Israel's 22-day offensive on the Gaza Strip which killed at least 1400 people mostly woman and children.

Relations took another sharp downturn last week when Turkey excluded Israel from a joint air force drill over Gaza incidents.

A UN inquiry, led by former South African Judge Richard Goldstone, detailed what investigators called Israeli actions "amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity," during Israel's winter offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The tensions became a major issue during a meeting between Netanyahu and his visiting Spanish counterpart, Jose Luis Zapatero, on Saturday.

Netanyahu said he objects to Turkey resuming its role as mediator since it cannot be an "honest broker" between Israel and Syria, Haaretz reported on Sunday.

This is while the hawkish government of Netanyahu has not held any indirect talks with Syria. During former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert's tenure, Turkey mediated five rounds of talks between Israeli and Syrian officials.

If Ankara stops its role as a mediator between Israel and the Arabs, Israel will lose a Muslim mediator with friendly ties to key Muslim players.