NAVY TO PARTAKE IN TURKISH EXERCISE
YAAKOV KATZ

Jerusalem Post
Aug 11, 2009 23:21

In a sign that tension between Jerusalem and Ankara has cooled down,
two Israeli Navy missile ships will sail to Turkey next week to
participate in the annual Reliant Mermaid search-and-rescue naval
exercise.

The maneuvers will be held in the Mediterranean Sea together with
the Turkish and American navies. The exercise, the first joint one
with Turkey since relations with Ankara grew tense during Operation
Cast Lead, will begin on August 17.

Several months after the January war, OC Ground Forces Command
Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrachi said in a lecture that Prime Minister Recep
Erdogan needed to "look in a mirror" – and see the Armenian genocide
and Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus – before criticizing Israel.

Mizrachi’s comments were negatively received in Ankara, particularly by
the Turkish military, which is a strategic partner to the IDF. Since
Operation Cast Lead, the IAF – which regularly flew over Turkey for
training – has yet to deploy there and even sat out of a large-scale
aerial exercise called Anatalian Eagle, which was held in June,
and which it had attended in previous years.

The Reliant Mermaid exercise is aimed at improving coordination
between the Israeli, US and Turkish navies. Part of the challenge
is for all three navies to communicate in joint search-and-rescue
operations that could arise in the future.

The INS Lahav and INS Sufa will represent Israel at the exercise,
which will be attended by eight missile ships and three helicopters.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress