Locals in Turkey were disturbed by the appearance of an Israeli balloon. Photo: Hurriyet Daily News.

A mysterious floating device, first thought to be a UFO, which was spotted by locals in the central Turkish province of Malatya turned out to an Israeli balloon, Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News reported on Friday.

According to the report, the blue and white balloon, emblazoned with the words “Welcome to Israel” and marked with a Star of David, set off UFO excitement moments before it landed in a garden in Malatya’s Hekimhan district.

Turkish gendarmerie military forces seized the flying object after some locals expressed concern that it may have been used by Israel for surveillance purposes.

Turkey confirmed last month that it is in the midst of negotiating a reconciliation agreement with Israel. The deal would boost ties between the former allies, which have deteriorated since the infamous May 2010 Gaza flotilla incident.