Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday declared that Turkey had received an official apology from Israel over what the Turkish ambassador termed "humiliating" treatment by Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, saying that it was "the expected and desired response."

Erdogan added more criticism of Israel, telling a news conference: "Israel must put itself in order and it must be more just and more on the side of peace in the region."

Summoned Monday by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon over an anti-Israeli television show aired in Turkey, envoy Ahmet Oguz Celikkol was made to sit in a chair lower than that of Ayalon, while the Turkish flag was deliberately not put on display.

At the beginning of his Monday meeting with Celikkol, Ayalon told cameramen in Hebrew: "Pay attention that he is sitting in a lower chair ... that there is only an Israeli flag on the table and that we are not smiling."

In the letter of official apology, Ayalon wrote that "I had no intention to humiliate you personally and apologize for the way the demarche was handled and perceived."

"Please convey this to the Turkish people for whom we have great respect. I hope that both Israel and Turkey will seek diplomatic and courteous channels to convey messages as two allies should," the letter said.

The letter of apology was issued at the culmination of day-long consultations between Ankara and Jerusalem, made after the Turks announced that Ayalon's first apology was insufficient, and Jerusalem vowed no second apology would be made.

Ayalon had issued an apology on Tuesday night, but Ankara had threatened to recall Celikkol if no second, formal apology was made. According to Turkish media reports, this step had been taken, with Celikkol set to return Thursday morning after Israel said no such apology was on the table.

"This is the final decision on the matter," said a senior Foreign Ministry official earlier Wednesday, referring to a second apology. The decision was made during consultations between the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office, officials said.

Israel had passed to the highest levels of the Turkish Foreign Ministry a copy of Ayalon's initial apology, which was published in the media on Wednesday morning.

Shortly before midnight Tuesday, Israel's ambassador to Turkey, Gabriel Levy, called senior officials in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and read to them the text of the apology from Ayalon. Levy stressed to the Turkish officials that this was a formal message from the government of Israel.

Ayalon issued the special statement of apology Tuesday night for his treatment of Celikkol on Monday. But Turkey on Wednesday threatened to recall the ambassador if the row over his treatment by Ayalon was not resolved to its satisfaction by Wednesday night.

"My protest of the attacks against Israel in Turkey still stands," Ayalon said. "However, it is not my way to insult foreign ambassadors and in the future I will clarify my position by more acceptable diplomatic means."

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday said Israel doesn't want a confrontation with Turkey, but that it won't tolerate anti-Semitic remarks and incitement against Jews.

Lieberman said Israel respects Turkey and its people, and expects the same in return.

Netanyahu on Wednesday expressed satisfaction with Ayalon's apology. He said that the deputy foreign minister's protest was justified, but that he should have used acceptable diplomatic means to express his outrage.

The deliberate insult enraged Turkey and deepened the rift that has emerged over the past year between the Jewish state and its closest friend in the Muslim world.

Turkish ire

The Turkish ambassador and the Turkish government were furious at the humiliation. In a sharply worded ultimatum to Israel earlier Tuesday, Ankara demanded an apology for what it described as Ayalon's demeaning treatment of its ambassador.

Headlines in Turkish newspapers on Wednesday showed deep outrage over the incident.

"Insolence," blared the daily Vatan, and Cumhuriyet proclaimed, "Ties with Israel are breaking down."

"Vile conspiracy," railed the Sabah, while the pro-Islamic Yeni Safak newspaper fumed: "Despicable and immoral."

Sources in the Prime Minister's Bureau said Tuesday the decision to invite the Turkish ambassador for a reprimand by Ayalon was made together with Lieberman.

At the Prime Minister's Bureau, they noted that Netanyahu was not aware of the way the reprimand would be carried out, "but the minute it happened the prime minister [gave] the foreign minister his full backing."