Abdullah Gul, speaking to reporters in New York, cited a scheduling problem and said there would be no meeting with Shimon Peres. His comments late Sunday were carried by Turkey’s state-run news agency, Anatolia.

Some reports had suggested that the two men would meet in a sign of an improvement in strained relations between the two formerly close allies.

Relations hit a low point after Israel’s May raid on an international flotilla that aimed to bust the blockade of Gaza. Eight Turkish and one Turkish-American activist died.

Turkey is demanding an apology for the raid and compensation for the victims’ families.