The United States criticized Turkey on Tuesday for canceling a NATO military exercise because Israel also was participating.

Neither the Turks nor NATO has confirmed that Israel's participation in the exercises over Turkey was Ankara's reason for canceling it.

US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Tuesday, however, that "as to the question of whether there was a government that was invited to participate and then removed at the last minute, we think it's inappropriate for any nation to be removed from an exercise like this at the last minute."

He was asked whether that was what happened, and if Israel was the spurned country. He confirmed both. RELATEDTen Turkish ministers head to SyriaErdogan: IDF fired phosphorus at innocent children

The comments came shortly after Syria praised Turkey for the cancellation.

During a press conference with Turkey's visiting foreign minister, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem stated that Damascus would "encourage such cancellations as long as Israel is continuing its aggression and occupation."

Initially, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had linked the cancellation to IDF Operation Cast Lead last December and January. However, the Turkish Foreign Ministry later released a statement saying the cancellation had not been political in nature.

The rift escalated when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of dropping phosphorus bombs on Gazan children during the three-week offensive.

Vice Premier and Regional Cooperation Minister Silvan Shalom advised on Tuesday that Turkey "regain its composure," Army Radio reported.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman also expressed his opinion that "the direction Turkey is taking is not good, growing closer to Syria, Hamas and Iran. It raises questions."

Meanwhile, Turkey and Syria celebrated on Tuesday the inception of the new Syrian-Turkish Strategic Cooperation Council, which was created during Syrian President Bashar Assad's recent visit to Turkey.

Syrian and Turkish ministers meeting in Aleppo on Tuesday outlined the agreement between Damascus and Ankara, which spans a variety of fields, including economic and national security arrangements.

The shared border with Kurd-dominated northern Iraq and Syria's support of Kurdish militia PKK had for many years put a strain on ties between Turkey and its neighbor to the south.

However, relations have been growing stronger in recent years due to common interests and shifting politics in Damascus and Ankara, as well as changing circumstances in the Arab world and in the Middle East.

Both countries' foreign ministers cited the new council and the celebratory meeting as an example of cultural and regional brotherhood, the Syrian news agency reported on Tuesday. "Syria and Turkey complete each other," Moallem was quoted as saying.