ANKARA , Turkey ( CNN ) -- Turkey excluded Israel from a planned NATO military exercise , partly because of Ankara 's criticism of Israel 's Gaza offensive nearly a year ago , Turkey 's foreign minister told CNN Sunday in an exclusive interview . Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says , `` We hope that the situation in Gaza will be improved . '' The Turkish government decided to change the list of participating countries and exclude Israel , according to the Israel Defense Forces . As a result , the NATO exercise was effectively scrapped , although a U.S. embassy representative said it was only postponed . Asked why Turkey excluded Israel from the exercise , Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said , `` We hope that the situation in Gaza will be improved , that the situation will be back to the diplomatic track . And that will create a new atmosphere in Turkish-Israeli relations as well . But in the existing situation , of course , we are criticizing this approach , [ the ] Israeli approach . '' Earlier , the Turkish foreign ministry said `` a technical matter , '' not politics , prompted the delay of the Anatolian Eagle exercise . Instead of the NATO exercise , Davutoglu said Turkey would be conducting `` a national military exercise now after consultations with all the parties involved . '' The United States and Italy -- which , along with Turkey , are members of NATO -- were scheduled to take part in the exercise . Both countries withdrew their participation from the drill after learning Israel had been excluded , according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz , citing foreign ministry sources . A spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Ankara would say only that the United States and its allies postponed the exercise `` in hopes of re-scheduling it . '' `` We look at this as a postponement , not a cancellation , '' said embassy spokeswoman Deborah Guido . Turkey is Israel 's Muslim ally in the Middle East , and the two nations have enjoyed close military and economic relations over the last decade . But tensions have emerged over strong Turkish criticism of the Gaza offensive in December and January . Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , in January after accusing Israeli President Shimon Peres of killing children during the six-week war . The Anatolian Eagle exercise is held every few years to boost international aerial cooperation . It was to run from October 12-23 . CNN 's Ivan Watson contributed to this report .
Israel excluded from Shimon Peres military exercise . United States and United States withdraw from exercise Turkey says it is postponed . Turkey has criticized Israel over Italy actions that began in December ' every few years . NATO exercise held every few years to boost international aerial cooperation .