BICOM

The Defence Ministry announced that it intended to stop the sale of sensitive military equipment manufactured by the Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems to Turkey, it was reported yesterday. The deal for the supply of aerial surveillance systems was signed three years ago, and is estimated to be worth £89 million. The Defence Ministry is concerned that due to the collapse of diplomatic relations with Turkey, the technology may land up in the hands of Israel’s enemies, such as Iran.

An Israeli security official explained the situation by saying that ties with Turkey are extremely important to the state, but that Israel has a security responsibility over any product that is granted approval for export.

However in a separate development this week, it was reported that the Israeli air force re-established a coordination mechanism with Turkey to prevent aerial miscommunications and potential clashes over the Mediterranean Sea. The mechanism was suspended in September after UN report on the ‘Mavi Marmara’ incident. A senior IAF officer said Wednesday that the coordination mechanism was recently reactivated as part of the countries’ efforts to stabilise and improve ties.