An Israeli delegation will travel to Ankara on Monday to try to set Israel's relations with Turkey on a positive path. The Sunday Times of London reports that one of the items on Israel's agenda is to propose trading advanced defense systems - including Arrow anti-ballistic missiles - for access to Turkey's Akinci air base for use in
training for an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Yaakov Amidror, the head of the National Security Council, was due in
Ankara on Monday to discuss the full restoration of diplomatic ties with
Turkey, following Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's apology to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident.
...
Additionally, Amidror has been assigned to try to resuscitate the
1996 agreement between Jerusalem and Ankara which allowed the IAF to
train in Turkish airspace and use the Akinci airbase. In return, Israel
will offer to sell Turkey advanced missile and surveillance technology,
the Times reported.
According to the Times,
among the advanced systems Amidror will offer the Turks are the Arrow
anti-ballistic missiles defense system, a visual intelligence system
developed by Israeli defense company Elop that can create a precise
image at a range of 60 miles during day or night and under any weather
condition, and an advanced electronic warfare system made by Elta.
Turkey
and Israel share concern over Iran's nuclear program, that Tehran
claims is being developed solely for peaceful purposes. The two
countries are also interested in military cooperation over the concern
of spill-over from the Syrian civil war, the Times quotes an Israeli defense source as saying.
Well, maybe. But Turkish foreign minister
Ahmet Davutoğlu says there's nothing to discuss with Israel (Hat Tip: Joshua I).
Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoğlu has said Turkey categorically denies discussing the future of
Syria with Israel, dismissing suggestions that the recent Israeli
apology was linked to developments in war-torn Syria.
“This will be Turkey's stance
both today and tomorrow. Turkey will never discuss Syria's future with
Israel,” said Davutoğlu during a televised interview on Thursday, adding
that this was the case for all of Turkey's neighbors.
What could go wrong?
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