"This was years ago, and its articles are irrelevant to the regrettable
developments in Gaza," Gonul said on Jan. 6.
Turkey's media have reported that Israel and Turkey were engaged in $1.8
billion of defense projects in 2007. The projects were said to include
unmanned aerial vehicles, airborne systems and a main battle tank upgrade.
"No military agreement was signed [with Israel] during our governments,"
Gonul said.
The Israeli-Hamas war has sparked condemnations of the Jewish state by
Erdogan and parliament. Over the last week, hundreds of Turkish
parliamentarians have resigned from a friendship association with Israel.
At the same time, Turkey has been cooperating in U.S.-led efforts to
block weapons shipments to and from Iran. Ankara has reported seizing an
Iranian shipment to Venezuela believed to contain equipment that could
produce explosives. The shipment was seized in the Mediterranean port of
Mersin.
"Experts from Turkey's Atomic Institute determined there were no traces
of radioactive material, but said the equipment was sufficient to establish
an
explosives lab," Suleiman Tosun, a Turkish customs official, said. "We have
asked the military to send experts to determine whether to resume the
shipment."