The Turkish daily Star said the Cabinet has established a panel to prepare for the end or down-grade of diplomatic and military relations with Israel, including the suspension of joint exercises, intelligence exchange as well as aircraft, missile and main battle tank modernization projects.

"I don't think there would be any disruptions," Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said in reference to Heron ops.

Gonul was responding to Turkish media reports that Heron operators from Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems left Turkey amid the crisis with Israel. The Turkish daily Zaman said the departure has grounded Turkey's Heron fleet, assigned to conduct reconnaissance missions in neighboring Iraq.

Both officials and industry sources dismissed the Zaman report. They said Heron operations were continuing, and that the last two of 10 platforms would arrive by mid-July.

Officials said two Heron platforms have been deemed operational. They said Israel's Aeronautics Defense was augmenting UAV operations for the Turkish military.

"Our personnel were trained in Israel and worked there," Gonul said. "After the aircraft arrived, they worked [operating the UAVs] in Turkey, too."

"We took a series of decisions covering military, diplomatic and political pressure and measures," the Star quoted a Turkish source as saying on June 16.

Hours later, about 600 Turkish special operations troops, backed by manned and unmanned aircraft, crossed the border into Iraq in an operation against the Kurdish Workers Party. The Turkish military said four PKK fighters were killed in an operation that took place three kilometers inside Iraq.

"The search operation of the units in the area is still taking place," the military said. "The air operation was monitored from the command headquarters and the targets were successfully hit."

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