(PTI): Turkey says Israel’s possible reaction to a joint military exercise between the country and Syria will not influence its decision to hold the drill.

Turkish military chief, General Ilker Basbug, told reporters on Wednesday that Ankara will not seek other countries’ contest to go on with the plan and that he was not concerned about Israel’s reaction The Jerusalem Post reported.

The remarks were made after Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, expressed concerns about the joint military exercise.

Tensions between Israel and Turkey have been mounting after the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Teyyeb Erdogan, slammed Tel Aviv over the Gaza war at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. Erdogan’s criticism developed into a row between the Turkish leader and the Israeli Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, and the Turkish premier left the meeting as a result.

He later received a hero’s welcome at home as people viewed his move as a signal of the Muslim country’s policy change toward Israel.