An Israeli Cabinet minister met secretly in Europe with Turkey's foreign minister on Wednesday in an attempt to improve relations rapidly deteriorating over the recent bloodshed on a Gaza-bound flotilla, Israeli government officials said.

Industry Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer met Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in an unspecified location in Europe, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the government did not officially confirm the details.

Ties between Israel and Turkey have worsened in recent years as Turkey's government has taken a more critical approach to a country that was one of its closest allies. Relations were dealt a blow last month when nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli troops in a botched attempt to stop a protest flotilla trying — with the unofficial backing of Turkey's government — to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The meeting was meant to be secret but became public when it was reported Wednesday evening by Israel's Channel 2 TV. The station's reporter gave the location of the meeting as Zurich, Switzerland.

The report drew an unusual and angry response from Israel's own foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who said he was not informed and blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what he called a "serious blow to the trust" between them.

Lieberman, who is known for his blunt style, is a divisive figure at home and largely unpopular abroad and is widely seen to have been sidelined in foreign policy by Netanyahu.

Lieberman's comment, in turn, led Netanyahu's office to release a statement confirming the meeting but explaining that it was initiated by the Turks and was "unofficial." The statement did not name the Turkish participant and said the failure to inform Israel's foreign minister was due to an unspecified "technical reason."

There was no immediate comment from the Turkish government.

In signs of the heightened tension between the two countries since the May 31 flotilla deaths, Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador to Israel and blocked some Israeli military flights in Turkish airspace. Israel, in turn, has expressed anger at Turkey's support of the flotilla organizers, charging that they are openly allied with Gaza's militant Islamic Hamas rulers.