Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz – Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters Peretz was attending a four-day UN sponsored conference about Mediterranean marine and coastal environment issues.

Confirming a report on Israel’s Channel 2 television, the official said Peretz was the highest-ranking Israeli in Turkey since ties soured after IDF commandos killed nine Turkish activists three years ago when their vessel violated an Israeli blockade on Hamas Islamist-ruled Gaza.

An official at the Turkish Foreign Ministry also confirmed Peretz was in the country, but seemed to distance Ankara from the visit by saying “the invitations were made by the UN Secretariat, we are just the host country”.

The Israeli official would not say whether Peretz planned to meet any Turkish officials in Istanbul. A program indicated government officials would attend the event.

Peretz belongs to a party headed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, a former foreign minister who also heads Israel’s US-sponsored peace talks with the Palestinians.

The United States has tried to mediate a rapprochement between Israel and Turkey, and at Washington’s intervention Israel apologized for the fatalities in the flotilla incident.

Israel had earlier rejected Turkey’s demand for an apology, insisting the clash resulted from an attempt to breach its security. Israel says the blockade on goods destined for Gaza is aimed at preventing Hamas from smuggling in weapons.

Israeli-Turkish relations, once touted as one of the Middle East’s most strategic alliances, continue to be chilly at higher government levels.

In August, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of involvement in the Egypt military’s overthrow of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi as president of Egypt, one of just two Arab countries that have a peace treaty with Israel.