Trade ties, military ties, regarding defense industry ties, we are completely suspending them

"Trade ties, military ties, regarding defense industry ties, we are completely suspending them," with Israel, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara on Tuesday a process he said will be followed by different measures.

Describing Israel with "a spoiled child", Erdogan hinted he might visit Gaza. "We are talking with the Egyptians on this matter ... A trip to Gaza is not finalised yet," said Erdogan, who is due to visit Egypt next week.

On Friday, Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador in Ankara, suspended military deals and vowed a greater naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Erdogan said the Israeli diplomats who had been ordered out of Turkey must leave by Wednesday.

However, Israel had refused that Turkey has frozen its military ties with Israel. The head of the Israeli defense ministry's diplomatic-security bureau Amos Gilad told Israel's Army Radio that the Israeli military attache in Turkey is still serving as usual. "Turkey has a lot to lose from making such extreme decision," Gilad said.

Turkey downgraded diplomatic relations with its former ally to the level of second secretary last week after Israel refused to apologize for the deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish-flagged protest flotilla that martyred nine pro-Palestinian activists last year.