Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Navy To Partake In Turkish Exercise

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Navy To Partake In Turkish Exercise

    NAVY TO PARTAKE IN TURKISH EXERCISE
    YAAKOV KATZ

    Jerusalem Post
    Aug 11, 2009 23:21

    In a sign that tension between Jerusalem and Ankara has cooled down,
    two Israeli Navy missile ships will sail to Turkey next week to
    participate in the annual Reliant Mermaid search-and-rescue naval
    exercise.

    The maneuvers will be held in the Mediterranean Sea together with
    the Turkish and American navies. The exercise, the first joint one
    with Turkey since relations with Ankara grew tense during Operation
    Cast Lead, will begin on August 17.

    Several months after the January war, OC Ground Forces Command
    Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrachi said in a lecture that Prime Minister Recep
    Erdogan needed to "look in a mirror" - and see the Armenian genocide
    and Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus - before criticizing Israel.

    Mizrachi's comments were negatively received in Ankara, particularly by
    the Turkish military, which is a strategic partner to the IDF. Since
    Operation Cast Lead, the IAF - which regularly flew over Turkey for
    training - has yet to deploy there and even sat out of a large-scale
    aerial exercise called Anatalian Eagle, which was held in June,
    and which it had attended in previous years.

    The Reliant Mermaid exercise is aimed at improving coordination
    between the Israeli, US and Turkish navies. Part of the challenge
    is for all three navies to communicate in joint search-and-rescue
    operations that could arise in the future.

    The INS Lahav and INS Sufa will represent Israel at the exercise,
    which will be attended by eight missile ships and three helicopters.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Working...
X