ANKARA (AFP) –
An end to the "humanitarian tragedy" in Gaza and reviving peace efforts in the Middle East are vital for normalising Turkish-Israeli ties, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday.

"Unfortunately, the Gaza offensive dealt a big blow to peace efforts," in the Middle East, Davutoglu told reporters.

"When there is a return to the track of peace, these relations of trust (with Israel) will be re-established on the same level as before," he said.

"Ending the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, reviving peace efforts -- both on the Palestinian and Syrian track, and most importantly -- reinstating a prevailing spirit of peace in the region... this is what we want," he said.

Once-flourishing Turkish-Israeli ties took a downturn in January after the Islamist-rooted government in Ankara launched an unprecedented barrage of criticism against Israel over its devastating war on Gaza.

Tensions were rekindled last week when Turkey barred Israel from participating as planned in joint military exercises.

"As long as the human tragedy in Gaza continues, no one should expect us to be part of a military picture" with Israel, Davutoglu said.

He rejected suggestions that the Turkish government, the moderate offshoot of a now-banned Islamist movement, was becoming anti-Israeli, saying Ankara had spent a lot of "effort" last year to mediate indirect peace talks between the Jewish state and Syria, which were also disrupted by the war on Gaza.

"The Gaza offensive killed the peace perspective in the region," he said.

"Although no single rocket has been fired on Israel from Gaza over the past eight months, children in Gaza have no schools to go, people have no homes to take shelter in... How can a country like Turkey stay silent to that?

"The humanitarian situation should be improved in the shortest possible time. How can wanting this amount to being anti-Israeli? This is a humanitarian attitude," he said.

The minister declined to comment on the impact of a Turkish state television series about the plight of the Palestinians that fanned the tensions this week, with Israel condemning the programme as "inciting hatred against Israel" and "not worthy of being broadcast even in an enemy state."

The public TRT broadcaster "is autonomous... and I do not think it is appropriate for government officials to comment" on its programmes, he said.