Posted on 01/17/2010 8:36:19 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Intense military cooperation has been the driving force behind once-booming Turkish-Israeli ties, now on the skids over what Turkey's Islamist-rooted government sees as lack of Israeli commitment to peace in the Middle East. Underscoring the deep roots of the relationship, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak visited Ankara Sunday, refusing to cancel the trip despite a severe diplomatic row that saw Ankara threaten to recall its ambassador from Tel Aviv.
NATO's sole predominantly Muslim member and the Jewish state signed a landmark military cooperation accord in 1996, much to the ire of Arab countries and Iran, marking the outset of what was called "a strategic partnership".
The pact eased Israel's isolation in a hostile Arab neighbourhood, while Turkey gained an ally against Syria, then an arch-foe, and access to advanced military technolodgy.
In the first major projects after the accord, Israeli companies were awarded contracts, worth some 700 million dollars, to modernise about 100 Turkish F-4 and F-5 fighter jets, and sold Turkey rockets and electronic equipment.
In 2002, Israeli Military Industries won a 668-million-dollar tender to upgrade 170 M60 tanks, the delivery of which is scheduled to be completed in February, according to Turkey's defence industry agency.
Another ongoing deal, worth 183 million dollars, involves the manufacture of 10 unmanned aircraft and related surveillance equipment for the Turkish army in a joint venture led by Israel Aerospace Industries.
The project, launched in 2005, has been delayed amid technical snags and political tensions, with Turkish officials currently in Israel to test the drones.
Other deals have been concluded silently, with some defence experts estimating that in 2007 alone, military equipment accounted for 69 percent of the 2.6-billion-dollar bilateral trade volume.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
I’ve been following this story, and in my opinion, the rift between Turkey and Israel will fade away in a year or so and nobody will really remember, sort of like the US-French rift when the Iraq war started. In my opinion Turkey won’t align with Syria further, since Syria has NOTHING to offer Turkey, but Israel does. Can you name one Syrian company that trades on the NYSE? Me neither.
Also I have a somewhat bold prediction: in a few years, Iraq and Israel will sign a peace agreement. They won’t be best friends, but it will be a necessary agreement against Iran.
I agree it will fade away, but it’s a little more serious than the US vs. the French spat. The rift between Turkey and Israel is a deliberate policy of the current Turkish administration, which is Islamist. Once they are out of power the relationship will get back to normal, but not until then.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
Not much reported, but in the midst of this "crisis", Turkey accelerated a large order for Israeli UAVs
Intense military cooperation has been the driving force behind once-booming Turkish-Israeli ties, now on the skids over what Turkey's Islamist-rooted government sees as lack of Israeli commitment to peace in the Middle East. Underscoring the deep roots of the relationship, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak visited Ankara Sunday, refusing to cancel the trip despite a severe diplomatic row that saw Ankara threaten to recall its ambassador from Tel Aviv. NATO's sole predominantly Muslim member and the Jewish state signed a landmark military cooperation accord in 1996, much to the ire of Arab countries and Iran, marking the outset of what was called "a strategic partnership". The pact eased Israel's isolation in a hostile Arab neighbourhood, while Turkey gained an ally against Syria, then an arch-foe, and access to advanced military technolodgy. In the first major projects after the accord, Israeli companies were awarded contracts, worth some 700 million dollars, to modernise about 100 Turkish F-4 and F-5 fighter jets, and sold Turkey rockets and electronic equipment. In 2002, Israeli Military Industries won a 668-million-dollar tender to upgrade 170 M60 tanks, the delivery of which is scheduled to be completed in February, according to Turkey's defence industry agency... Other deals have been concluded silently, with some defence experts estimating that in 2007 alone, military equipment accounted for 69 percent of the 2.6-billion-dollar bilateral trade volume.
The Islamists have infiltrated the army since they took over the country under Ecevit, now Erdogan.
The article forgot to mention this:
Turkey Cancels Joint Air Exercise With Israel 10/09
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4321061
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.