French attempts to sidestep Nato at the outset of military operations against Libya have divided the international coalition enforcing a no-fly zone over the country, according to western diplomats.

The French moves, which western diplomats said included launching the first attack on Libya without fully informing its allies, angered US and UK officials and is hampering Anglo American efforts to transfer command of the operation to Nato, officials said. Relations grew so tense on Monday that the French and German ambassadors to Nato walked out of a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, the alliance’s decision-making body, after Anders Fogh Rasmussen, secretary-general, criticised Paris for impeding Nato involvement and Germany for not actively participating.

Turkey, a Nato member that has expressed reservations about the military intervention, also blocked a move to give the alliance command and control responsibilities during a Sunday night meeting. The Turkish government was upset that its representatives had not been invited to Paris for a weekend summit on the crisis. Other non-European Union members of Nato, including Norway, were included.