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Last update - 21:24 14/10/2009
Turkey PM: My people rejected Israeli participation in NATO drill
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspodent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: air force exercise, Turkey 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said that "diplomatic sensitivities" led his government to ban Israel from a joint NATO air force drill, French news agency AFP reported.

"There is military cooperation between Turkey and Israel...but currently there are diplomatic sensitivities that we have to take into consideration," AFP quoted Edrogan as telling the Dubai-based channel Al-Arabiya.

"We have taken the conscience of our people into consideration when we decided.... I had to be the voice that expresses the existence of my people and my people were rejecting Israel's participation.
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"We discussed it with the responsible parties and said yes, these drills will take place but Israel will not take part in them," he said.

Meanwhile, a Turkish newspaper reported Wednesday that the reason Turkey banned Israel from this week's NATO air force exercises was "yet another delay in the delivery of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs," and not Turkish opposition to Israel's Gaza offensive, the newspaper Today's Zaman quoted a senior Turkish air force official as saying.

On Sunday, Foreign Ministry sources said that Turkish military officials had approached the Israel Defense Forces recently with a surprising demand that Israel refrain from participating in the drill, due to the IDF's activity in Gaza. The exercise was canceled after the U.S. and Italy pulled their participation.

The Turkish official told Today's Zaman that the deal struck between Israel and Turkey was supposed to involve a shipment of Israeli-made spy drones, known as Herons, to Turkey, but that the shipment did not arrive on time.

"Turkey needs those vehicles in its fight against terror. What led to the recent crisis between Turkey and Israel was the delay in the delivery," the official said.

Several years ago, Turkey signed a deal to purchase 10 Herons from Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit for a sum of $180 million. Israeli media reported that Turkey was considering scrapping the deal when Israel failed to meet production deadlines, but Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said in May that Turkey would not break the contract. The Israeli company later announced that it would deliver four Herons in August, followed by another two and then the last four by the end of October.

The Turkish army has yet to use two of the 10 drones, which arrived in Turkey last November after an almost two-year delay, due to persistent technical problems, the Turkish paper reported.
The report went on to quote Turkish government spokesperson and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek as saying that a proposal for the cancellation of the drill came from the General Staff as a response to yet another delay in the delivery of the Israeli UAVs to Turkey. "The proposal for cancellation came from the General Staff, not the government. However, there was no disagreement between the two bodies on the decision," Cicek was quoted as saying.

The report stressed that the Turkish government had no hand in the decision to cancel the exercise. "The Anatolian Eagle [exercise] is an organization of the Turkish Armed Forces. It is up to the air forces and the General Staff to decide on which countries will participate in the exercises. The government has not interfered in the decision," Cicek was quoted as saying.

The Turkish-Israeli crisis reached a peak on Jan. 29 after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan walked out of a panel discussion in Davos in protest of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also commented on the recent drill crisis and called on every country to refrain from any act that could harm the atmosphere of peace and stability in the region.

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      1.   As likely as snow in June 11:28  |  Singer 14/10/09
      2.   The lousiest excuse ever 11:31  |  Isser 14/10/09
      3.   This is a belated excuse for mediatic, political Israel-bashing. 11:36  |  Fortuna Benmayor 14/10/09
      4.   Promises are meant to be kept. 11:42  |  Joeri 14/10/09
      5.   Oh!! so bad.. 12:06  |  Nuri 14/10/09
      6.   The Islamic republic of Turkey? 12:46  |  james hazan 14/10/09
      7.   The army covering up for bowing to the Islamists . 13:01  |  PETER SM 14/10/09
      8.   Pulled two ways 13:03  |  Motic 14/10/09
      9.   aaaa,now it`s clear 13:26  |  dani.a 14/10/09
      10.   How ? 13:35  |  Serge 14/10/09
      11.   to #6 13:59  |  ancyra 14/10/09
      12.   Isser # 2 14:21  |  American in NY 14/10/09
      13.   i am sure there are a lot of reason to deny izzy from NATO 14:38  |  and 14/10/09
      14.   Cancel all pending sales in the pipeline now 14:58  |  steve from Raleigh 14/10/09
      15.   A growing division or simple politics..? 14:58  |  Stephen. 14/10/09
      16.   # 2 isser 15:14  |  Axel 14/10/09
      17.   heron stuff probably correct but... 15:17  |  mehmet 14/10/09
      18.   Well, if that`s the case... 15:49  |  JW 14/10/09
      19.   The actual problem is.... 16:01  |  Dimitry 14/10/09
      20.   Lets assume this report is right 16:03  |  Confused 14/10/09
      21.   turkey 16:26  |  oz 14/10/09
      22.   Get real 16:28  |  Mark Lincoln 14/10/09
      23.   ironic 16:37  |  oz 14/10/09
      24.   Sure.... And the treaty and joint military exercices with Syria 16:51  |  Genuine Moshe 14/10/09
      25.   #11 American in NY 17:22  |  H 14/10/09
      26.   A in NY But USA and EU has conditions 17:42  |  David Isarel 14/10/09
      27.   cost of Doing Business With Syria - Trash Israel 17:54  |  Jane 14/10/09
      28.   Before is too late 18:02  |  American 14/10/09
      29.   Israel - Turkey 18:48  |  Ed 14/10/09
      30.   Not the first problem with Israeli quality 19:06  |  Tim 14/10/09
      31.   Isser to add to that 19:31  |  Palestinian Prince 14/10/09
      32.   Turkey, the rebirth of the Otoman empire 20:06  |  charro 14/10/09
      33.   # 2 isser 20:28  |  Axel 14/10/09
      34.   # 13 david israel 20:31  |  Axel 14/10/09
      35.   A shift in Turkey`s foreign policy 20:48  |  Lebanese 14/10/09
      36.   Which is it? 20:56  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 14/10/09
      37.   Ben Gurion 20:57  |  Cem 14/10/09
      38.   Israel does not want drones to end up in Terrorist hands 20:59  |  Baruch Gold 14/10/09
      39.   Turkey wants to fight terror? then why join Syria? 21:05  |  Avi 14/10/09
      40.   Turkey`s Response 21:10  |  From Lebanon 14/10/09
      41.   Delivery of UAVs would aid al Qaeda and Iran 21:38  |  Israeli 14/10/09
      42.   Competition 21:40  |  A TRUE American 14/10/09
      43.   Has "ally" Turkey shared Israeli technology with Syria(Iran) 21:47  |  bernard ross 14/10/09
      44.   # 21 chaim 21:50  |  Axel 14/10/09
      45.   Cem it is not Israel drifting away 21:55  |  David israel 14/10/09
      46.   Anyone who read the entire Zaman article 22:00  |  Mark Lincoln 14/10/09
      47.   #.17 Tim. Just name one instance .. 22:05  |  Stephen. 14/10/09
      48.   Turkey is right to reject participation 22:12  |  Tony Silver 14/10/09
      49.   # 21 baruch 23:11  |  Axel 14/10/09
      50.   The geographical position of Turkey !!!!!!!! 00:03  |  Tony 15/10/09
      51.   Israel does not want drones to end up in Terrorist hands? 00:54  |  Mark Lincoln 15/10/09
      52.   #17 Tim - Yes, It`s a real problem 01:46  |  *BEN JABO 15/10/09
      53.   #24 Tony Silver - Turkey killed hundreds of 01:48  |  *BEN JABO 15/10/09
      54.   Message to Israelis - Be Smart, Ignore the Provocations 02:33  |  massaraksh 15/10/09
      55.   He walked out on Perez too 02:48  |  John Isenhower 15/10/09
      56.   Tony Silver 03:46  |  Robert 15/10/09
      57.   Second stage 03:47  |  zaky 15/10/09
      58.   The Islamic Caliphate of Turkey lies and changes its story every 04:01  |  Ami ben Abraam 15/10/09
      59.   #22 Bernard - I don`t know. Has "ally" Israel 04:47  |  Rick 15/10/09
      60.   Another Muslim degenerat,good for nothink. 05:17  |  Jacob 15/10/09
      61.   Ataturk tried, but ... 05:18  |  Rory 15/10/09
      62.   I wish my president would deliver promises 06:05  |  American 15/10/09
      63.   Many Americans are of the same mind.... 10:55  |  Dutch 15/10/09
      64.   Israel needs Turkey 10:58  |  Pete 15/10/09
      65.   David Israel # 13 USA has conditions on military sales to Israel 13:38  |  American in NY 15/10/09
      66.   Axel more bullshit 13:50  |  Petra 15/10/09
      67.   Israel not part of NATO 13:57  |  Steven Grumman 15/10/09
      68.   Turkey 14:45  |  Alex 15/10/09
      69.   A in NY 14:48  |  David Israel 15/10/09
      70.   Facts, US-Turkey Alliance and Isreal.. 16:13  |  Mehmet 15/10/09
      71.   Ataturk 16:15  |  Ed 15/10/09
      72.   #46 Mehmet - To the contrary on Anti-Semitism 16:56  |  *BEN JABO 15/10/09
      73.   Mehmet from Ankara 17:14  |  David Isarel 15/10/09
      74.   @Ed - 47th message 17:21  |  Kemal Ataturk 15/10/09
      75.   #69 from Ankara 18:16  |  David Isarel 15/10/09
      76.   To 28, I agree, let`s ask USA to... 06:45  |  David 16/10/09
      77.   Attaturk must be spinning in his grave 21:52  |  *BEN JABO 16/10/09
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