Turkey: Diplomatic spat with Israel won't scupper $190 million drone deal
Israel will deliver four Heron unmanned aerial vehicles in March, with six more to be delivered by year's end.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Israel newsTurkey's military will accept a delivery of Israeli drones in March - despite a diplomatic row that has brought the relations between the countries close to breaking point, Turkish officials said on Thursday.
Israel will send four Heron unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Turkey, the first part of a consignment of 10 drones purchased by the Turkish government, with the remainder to be shipped by the year's end, officials told the Turkish daily, Zaman.
Turkey awarded a contract for the drones to two Israeli companies, Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), in 2005. In December, Ankara announced its intention to speed up the deal, worth about $190 million - before a diplomatic storm over Israel's treatment of Turkey's ambassador cast doubt on the agreement.
Even before the latest crisis, the transaction had been put temporarily on hold due to Turkish outrage over Operation Cast Lead, Israel's three-week offensive in Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009.
There have also been technical disagreements between the sides, with Israel claiming that the Turkish buyers insist on installing surveillance cameras too heavy for the UAVs.
But following a visit to Turkey this week by Udi Shani, director general-designate of the Defense Ministry, the agreement was put back on the table.
Despite soaring tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara, Israeli defense officials have stressed that the strategic partnership between the eastern Mediterranean's two strongest military powers remains on track and Defense Minister Ehud Barak is expected to travel to Ankara on Sunday.
Barak's visit, which follows an invitation issued last month, will include meetings with the Turkish defense and foreign ministers, as well as the Turkish chief of staff. It remains unclear whether Barak will meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
Defense sources told Haaretz that Shani's visit was conducted in a friendly working atmosphere, which appeared unspoiled by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's diplomatic faux pas against the Turkish envoy to Israel, Ahmet Oguz Celikkol.
Summoned on Monday by Ayalon over an anti-Israeli television show aired in Turkey, Celikkol was made to sit in a chair lower than that of Ayalon, while the Turkish flag was deliberately not put on display.
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First of all F16s, the core of TAF, is an air superiority fighter jet. It is not very good at engaging ground targets. Harware an S/W required to adapt the missions for ground targets and insurgents were restricted by USA. This was of course BEFORE they started fighting insurgents themselves. Since then ASELSAN and TAI have developed indigenous technology to fill the gap and/or acquired it from Israel.
Turkey uses American airplanes against the PKK, so where are your strings? That America places restrictions on the reconnaissance drones, but not on the combat aircraft, is rather far-fetched.
Then why did Turkey at the beginning of 2009 asked Israel to loan several Heron's in urgency for their fight against PKK? Turkey did not have the staff trained to operate them, Israel sent Israeli staff to use them against PKK while Turks were being trained. Either those other countries make inferio products which I know this is not the case or those coming from USA and other places had the strings attached as I wrote (Based on news from Turkish media BTW) and could not be used against PKK. Every Turk knows that The Turkish fighter jets and tanks that were modernized by Israel were first considered to be modernized in Germany but Germany had strings attached as I said.
Turkey and Russia signed a joint declaration/strategic partnership - joint establishment of nuclear power plant in Turkey and joint projects such as, telecommunications, industry and natural gas and oil pipelines... a trade volume of $38 billion between the two countries is expected to swell to $100 billion in five years. Perhaps we seeing a little bit of sour grapes belly aching from Israeli leaders toward Turkey, an up and coming strategic power in the Middle East? : )
Israel began to fly UAVs during the War of Attrition with Egypt from 1968-1971. These were actually remote controlled model airplanes adapted for reconnaissance along the Suez Canal. These model airplanes were purchased at Polk?s Hobby Shop on 5th Avenue at 32 Street.
Read the post # 3 from Ibrahim and learn that Turkey purchases UAVs from different foreign and indigenous sources. There is nothing special in Israeli products - availability, perhaps.
Because Israel sells the arms to Turkey without strings attached. USA, Germany and EU have many strings attached and restrictions on when and how they can be used. Therefore Turkey buys them from Israel.
Israel will never install a spy software in the drones! Israel will never use the drones as a counter-intelligence devices. Israel will never mislead information or "cure" information to the rest of the world!!!
Don't the Turks see that money spent in Israel might up as lead being cast over the defenseless prisoners of Gaza?
Turkey does not need Israel as Iran can provide the technology to turks. Israel is not in friendly environment and should be able to get her priorities right if it wants to represent all Jewish people?
they'll cut relations but they'll keep the deal to get military goods form israel I guess israel is good for something
American drones have a lot technologies introduced to them by Israel year?s back I believe in 70s. Some drones was flying over Iraq and Afghanistan during war. Elbit Systems makes electronics for them I don?t know they better or worse than US drones but technology one of the most advanced ones.
The UAVs will just wind up with Iran and Hezbollah.
How many of these will end up being examined by Turkey/Erdogan's new friends? No more sales to Turkey.
Drones have been flone and used by isreal since the sixtiees to assume that the U.S. has more battle tested drones is a ridiculos underestamation of the isreali armys capabilitys.They have always done waepons deals and if it's strange to sell to turky than America should give back it's isreali drones.
The Turkish Air Force currently operates the following UAV's: 4 MQ Reaper, 1 MQ-1 Predator, 6 RQ-7 Shadow 600, 3 Aerostar Tactical UAV, 16 I-GNAT ER, 6 GNAT 750, 800 (no mistake) Turkish made Malazgirt VTOL Mini UAV's. The TuAF also operates 20 Turkish Aerospace Industries produced GOZCU target drones. 20 TIHA UAV's are also on order. The TIHA UAV is idegenously designed and produced wholly by Turkish Aerospace Industries. It is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV similar to the US Predator and Heron. Hence, the issue is not about who makes what but Turkey's insistence on having all UAV manufacturers technologies available at its disposal.
Don't you know that Israeli's UAVs are mods of its american counterparts? Plus, Israel's UAV are extremely battle tested. Read your facts!
The question is why Turkey is even dealing with Israel on the drone issue. Is America paying the bill if they contract with Israel? American drones are better and much more battle tested. Something is wrong with this picture.