Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is reportedly blocking the sale of Israeli-made defense products to Turkey despite recently intensified efforts to get the two countries to reconcile.
The Israeli Defense Ministry is trying to re-launch the export of defense products to Turkey as part of an attempt to rescue once good ties the two countries enjoyed in the region for decades, but Lieberman, one of the most adamant opponents to Turkish-Israeli rapprochement, is blocking the sale.
The Jerusalem Post claimed on Tuesday that Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are at odds over whether Israel should renew defense exports to Turkey, Israeli defense officials informed. The total estimated value of the current military contracts that Turkey has awarded to Israeli companies amounts to $1.8 billion. This figure comprises a significant amount of the two nations’ total annual trade volume of $2.6 billion.
Turkey had cancelled dozens of military agreements, war games and military projects with Israel following a lethal Israeli raid of the Mavi Marmara in May of last year; the ship was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza to breach an Israeli naval blockade.
According to the report, a department within the Israeli Defense Ministry department, the Export Licensing Authority (API), operates in cooperation with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, consulting on all sensitive arms deals. “There is a fundamental disagreement over whether Israel should sell military platforms to Turkey or not,” an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post on Monday.
In May 2007, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Israel, which was returned with a visit by Israeli President Shimon Peres in November of that year. After the two visits, Turkey awarded Israel $700 million in projects, involving tank modernization and the modernization of 48 warplanes and 300 helicopters. In its latest agreement with Israel, Turkey bought 10 unmanned Heron air vehicles; however, there has been a major delay in Israel’s delivery of the Herons, only adding to the problems of the M-60 tender. The Herons, which were initially promised for May 2008, were finally delivered late in 2009.
Officials said the primary reason behind Barak’s support is the need to repair ties with Turkey, which has helped Israel in preventing a new flotilla of ships — currently stuck in Greece — from sailing to the Gaza Strip. Barak, who has been touted as the most pro-Turkish minister in the current Israeli coalition government, said on Monday that “reconciliation with Turkey is drawing near” and that Israel is very interested in “putting the past behind us” in the hope of mending the rift with Turkey.
via Israeli ministers divided over defense exports to Turkey.