page_title: Israel–Turkey relations
section_title: Military collaboration
hierarchical_section_title: Israel–Turkey relations / Military collaboration
caption_attribution_description: English: U.S. Navy Capt. John W. Moore, commander of Task Force 67, exchanges gifts and greetings with Turkish Rear Adm. Ismail Taylan and Israeli Rear Adm. Rom Rutberg during pre-exercise discussions for exercise Reliant Mermaid 2009 Aug. 17, 2009, in Aksaz, Turkey. The annual exercise involving forces from Israel, Turkey and the United States is based on scripted humanitarian search and rescue scenarios. עברית: מפקד כוח המשימה האמריקאי, ג'ון וו. מור, מחליף תשורות וברכות עם תת-אדמירל איסמאיל טיילן מהצי הטורקי ותת-אלוף רם רוטברג, מפקד בסיס חיפה של חיל הים, בעת תרגיל שנתי משותף לחיפוש והצלה, הנערך בים התיכון
context_page_description: Israeli–Turkish relations are the bilateral ties between the Israel and the Republic of Turkey. Israel–Turkey relations were formalized in March 1949, when Turkey was the first Muslim majority country to recognize the State of Israel. Both countries gave high priority to military, strategic, and diplomatic cooperation, while sharing concerns with respect to the regional instabilities in the Middle East.
context_section_description: In 2007, Israel and Turkey discussed the sale of Israeli Ofeq satellites and Arrow missile air-defence systems to Turkey to upgrade Turkish military and intelligence capabilities. Israeli defense companies have helped to modernize the F-4 Phantom fleet of the Turkish air force. Agreements have included air, sea, land and intelligence cooperation, manufacturing of aircraft, armaments and missiles, mutual military visits, training and exercises, dispatch of observers to oversee military exercises, staff exchanges and military know-how.
  Modernization of Turkey's F-4 Phantoms and F-5 aircraft – $900 million.
  Upgrading 170 of Turkey's M60A1 tanks – $687 million.
  Popeye-I and Popeye-II missiles.
  Popeye-II surface-to-air missiles – $150 million.
  10 Heron UAV – $183 million.
  Arrow anti-ballistic-missiles. (Agreed in principle by Israel; approval by the United States pending.)
  The agreement provided exchange of pilots eight times a year; allowed Israeli pilots to practice "long range flying over mountainous land" in Turkey's Konya firing range; and permitted Turkish pilots to train at Israel's computerized firing range at the Nevatim airfield.
  The two navies conducted maneuvers during Operation Reliant Mermaid (the U.S. also participated) in January 1998.
  In September 2011, military agreements between Turkey and Israel were suspended. Turkey has frozen 16 defense contracts worth billions of dollars since March 2010. Turkey suspended a 5 billion dollar deal for 1,000 Merkava Mk 3 tanks. Turkey also dropped Israel Aerospace Industries Arrow-2 anti-ballistic missile system worth $2 billion from bidding, with only U.S, European, and Chinese companies allowed to bid.
caption: Turkey-Israel naval collaboration, 2009: US Capt. John Moore, Turkish Rear Adm. Ismail Taylan, Israeli Rear Adm. Rom Rutberg
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