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  • ISTANBUL: Turkish-Israeli mil alliance grows vulnerable to politics

    Hurriyet, Turkey
    Jan 5 2010


    Turkish-Israeli military alliance grows vulnerable to civilian politics

    Tuesday, January 5, 2010
    BARÃ?IN YÄ°NANÃ?
    TEL AVİV -Hürriyet Daily News

    When Israeli Ambassador Gaby Levy was summoned to the Turkish Foreign
    Ministry on Valentine's Day last February, it was not to celebrate
    love between Turkey and Israel.

    On the contrary. Levy was called in to hear a protest of comments by
    an Israeli military official: Gen. Avi Mizrahi, commander of Israel's
    land forces. Mizrahi was quoted as saying Turkish Prime Minister Recep
    Tayyip ErdoÄ?an should have "looked in the mirror" before slamming
    President Shimon Peres during the World Economic Forum in Davos,
    Switzerland the previous month.

    In a memorable outburst, as ErdoÄ?an stormed out of the debate he
    accused Israel of `barbarian' acts and told Peres, who was seated next
    to him, `You know well how to kill people.'

    Mizrahi said Turkey was not in a position to criticize Israel's
    actions in the Palestinian territories while Turkey had troops
    stationed in northern Cyprus. He also accused Turkey of repressing its
    Kurdish minority and massacring Armenians during World War I.

    The Turkish military condemned the remarks, saying national interests
    between the two countries could be damaged.

    Meanwhile, Mizrahi's statements sent shockwaves through Turkey, just
    as the spat in Davos and the ensuing anti-Israel demonstrations across
    Turkey sent shockwaves through the Jewish state.

    Until recently, military cooperation between Israel and Turkey
    continued unhindered behind the scenes even as Turkish leaders
    occasionally railed against Israel's policies toward the Palestinians,
    according to journalist Utku �akırözer. He said late former Prime
    Minister Bülent Ecevit, for one, even labeled Israel's policies as
    genocide.

    This time, however, the atmosphere seemed different and the Turkish
    military's critical statement condemning Mizrahi's remarks illustrated
    how military relations might no longer be immune from political
    fallout.

    Anti-Israeli activities anger the military

    The changing relationship of the Turkish military with civilian
    politics is an issue puzzling to many Israelis. `What is the situation
    of the military? Is its power diminishing in Turkey?' asked one Tel
    Aviv University academic who participated in an exchange of views with
    Turkish journalists.

    The military's stance might, indeed, appear puzzling, especially to
    those who have watched the forces exert their influence in favor of
    relations with Israel in spite of ruling political parties. In 1996
    the military made no secret of its preference for maintaining
    strategic relations with Israel despite the marked disapproval of the
    Islamist-leaning Welfare Party, a ruling coalition partner at the
    time.

    `At that time, the military went ahead with forging good relations
    with Israel, despite the existence of a pro-Islamic party in
    government. Important military agreements were signed during that
    period and some agreements have the signature of Necmettin Erbakan,
    the leader of Welfare Party,' �akırözer said.

    In Sincan, a suburb of Ankara, the town council sponsors an annual
    rally to commemorate `Jerusalem Day.' But on Feb. 2, 1997, the guest
    of honor was Iran's ambassador to Turkey, who used the event as an
    opportunity to severely criticize Israel.

    The military, in response, used this occasion to express its
    dissatisfaction with the ruling government: It sent tanks to the
    suburb, two of which conveniently malfunctioned and were forced to
    remain parked for several hours in the very square where the meeting
    had taken place earlier.

    The town's mayor was arrested and dismissed from office. Iran was
    asked to call back its ambassador, a move less humiliating than the
    envoy's outright expulsion.

    `A town virtually occupied for celebrating Jerusalem day? A mayor
    arrested and pushed out of his job for anti-Israel remarks? A
    diplomatic row over an ambassador's anti-Zionism? In the Middle East
    in 1997, this could only take place in Turkey, the one Muslim country
    where a powerful institution completely rejects the demonization of
    Israel and instead fosters a hard kernel of pro-Israel sentiment,'
    wrote Daniel Pipes, an American academic, author and Middle East
    specialist, in an article published in the 1997-1998 winter issue of
    National Interest.

    Israel expelled from military exercise

    A decade later, however, the military was unable to counteract the
    government's decision to exclude Israel's air force from participating
    in a routine NATO exercise to be held in the Turkish city of Konya
    codenamed `Anatolian Eagle.'

    `In the 1990s the military was very dominant in bilateral ties with
    Israel. It did not care about the government's views,' said �akırözer.
    `It is not the case anymore. In the past, exercises were planned by
    the military and the government would be informed at a later stage.
    Now, however, the government intervened even to stop a military
    technical exercise.'

    The Turkish military, some of whose officials are currently being
    investigated for involvement in a secret organization intent on
    toppling the government, was apparently unable to withstand the
    pressure from the government to exclude Israel from last summer's
    exercise.

    `The Turkish military had good relations with Israel's armed forces
    but Turkey is changing, and the army is weak,' said Israeli journalist
    Udi Segal.

    The Turkish armed forces, however, are also believed to be
    dissatisfied with their relationship with Israel despite the extensive
    cooperation. Between 1996 and 2005, Turkey's arms purchases from
    Israel totaled in the billions of dollars, including a 1996 contract
    to modernize Turkey's older, U.S.-made fighter aircraft signed during
    the Welfare Party's joint rule.

    Toward the end of the 2000s, the Israeli-Turkish defense industry
    partnership began to falter, said Ã`mit Enginsoy, a leading expert on
    military affairs and contributor to the Daily News. Israel is still
    trying to complete a program worth roughly $700 million to upgrade 170
    of Turkey's main M60 battle tanks after several years of delays.

    In the most recent example, a partnership between Israel Aerospace
    Industries, or IAI, and Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems
    failed to deliver 10 Heron unmanned aerial vehicles to Turkey after
    more than two years of delays. The Turkish military, according to
    Enginsoy, is angered by an excessively high number of glitches and
    delays with Israel-related defense industry programs.

    Moreover, some Turkish military officials have also been reportedly
    annoyed by news that Israel has had close cooperation with Iraqi Kurds
    in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, said Enginsoy.

    A few commentators in Israel appear to have misunderstood the real
    message behind the change in the military's stance. Efraim Inbar, an
    Israeli academic, said, `I don't want Israeli military equipment to
    end up in the hands of Ahmadinejad,' as if Turkey were lining up to
    complete more arms deals with Israel.

    Even with its history of arms purchases, Turkey no longer sees Israel
    as its best option. Given the current tense political relationship
    that exists between Turkey and Israel, no new large-scale defense
    industry deals are expected for the foreseeable future, said Enginsoy.

    Part 4: Strategic changes mirror changes of perceptions in Turkey and Israel.
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