Barak: Joint Turkey-Syria military drill 'very troubling' for Israel

Israel is troubled by an unprecedented military exercise between its ally, Turkey, and its arch-foe Syria, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday.

Ankara announced on Sunday it would hold its first drill with Syria this week, using ground forces in a border area that has been the focus of a 25-year conflict between Turkey and separatist Kurdish rebels.

Israel has extensive defense ties to Turkey, a NATO member and among the few Muslim nations to have built an alliance with Israel. The Israeli and Turkish air forces and navies have held joint exercises.

"Today we see a Syrian-Turkish drill, which is certainly a troubling development," Barak told reporters. "But I believe that the strategic ties between Israel and Turkey will overcome even Turkey's need to take part in this drill."