On June 7, Turkey launched the annual Anatolian Eagle air combat
exercise in the central city of Konya without Israel. Anatolian Eagle,
attended by NATO and Arab states, was meant to last about 10 days and would
focus on both combat as well as electronic warfare.
This marked the third time that Israel was banned from Anatolian Eagle
over the last year. Officials said the Turkish military has suspended Israeli
participation in combat air exercises since the Hamas war in December 2008, Middle East Newsline reported.
The latest edition of Anatolian Eagle includes leading Arab allies of
Turkey, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Italy, Spain and the
United States, which canceled their participation in October 2009 because of
the ban on Israel, have participated in the current exercise.
"There is nothing new here," a Turkish official said.
Officials said the Turkish military has been drafting a three-stage plan
to end cooperation with Israel. But they said the military plan was not said
to include the cancellation of current projects with Israel.
The next annual major exercise between Israel and Turkey was scheduled
for the summer of 2010. But officials said Turkey would probably cancel the
Reliant Mermaid naval search-and-exercise, held in the eastern Mediterranean
with the United States.
"We are ready to hold similar exercises with the United States," the
official said.