Turkish Ambassador to Washington Reportedly Returns to US Amid Jerusalem Row

The US decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem has prompted Turkey's bitter resentment, with Ankara summoning its envoy to Washington for consultations.

Ankara's Ambassador to the US Serdar Kilic is returning to Washington after being summoned for consultations over US President Donald Trump's decision to transfer its Israeli diplomatic mission to Jerusalem, an official in the Turkish foreign ministry told the Israeli news outlet Haaretz on Thursday.

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According to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Kilic is returning to the US to make preparations for Cavusoglu's upcoming visit to the US, slated for June 4. Turkey's foreign minister is due to meet his US counterpart Mike Pompeo to discuss the withdrawal of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers to be a terrorist group backed by Washington, from the Syrian city of Manbij.

Turkey recalled its ambassador after the official opening of the US embassy aggravated Palestinian protests in the Gaza region, prompting Israel to retaliate on its borders, resulting in the death of over 60 protesters. In the wake of the incident, Turkey also summoned its envoy to Israel to clarify the situation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the US and Israel of "state terror" and "genocide" over the grave situation in the Gaza Strip.

Israel, in turn, has blamed the violence on Hamas, saying that the militants' provocations and actions along the border led to the aggravation of the security situation.