"We believe the comparisons made in the (Israeli) declarations are completely groundless and wrong," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We have conveyed to the Israeli side our dissatisfaction and discomfort over the statements which were possibly made on domestic political concerns," it added.

In comments to a Turkish television station on Thursday, Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for the Israeli government, strongly criticised Turkey for inviting the exiled leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, for talks in a move which he said could damage bilateral ties.

"It is a serious mistake, this visit could have consequences for our links that could be hard to repair," he told the NTV news channel.

"I wonder what the Turkish authorities would think if we were to invite (jailed Kurdish separatist leader) Abdullah Ocalan for talks in Israel?," he asked.

Ocalan is the head of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which took up arms against Ankara in 1984 for self-rule in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.

Turkey categorically refuses to have any talks with the PKK, which it describes as a terrorist organisation, and presses its allies and friends to follow its example.

A Turkish diplomatic source, who wished not to be named, said Friday the foreign ministry contacted the Israeli ambassador to Ankara, Pinhas Avivi, late Thursday to convey Ankara's dissatisfaction.

The five-member Hamas team, led by Meshaal, flew into Turkey on Thursday for an unannounced visit during which they met Turkish diplomats and senior members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) which has Islamist roots.

The Turkish government took care not to give the impression of an official visit, scheduling the meetings outside government buildings.

Last month Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country was ready to act as go-between for Israel and Hamas, given its good relations with both parties.

Turkey, Muslim but secular, has been Israel's chief regional ally since 1996 but also backs Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own.