Turkey cancels military contracts with Israel
Turkey-Israel, Politics, 5/17/2004

Turkey on Friday decided to cancel about US $ 20 billion military contracts signed or which are being signed with all Israeli companies pertaining to buying and industrializing tanks, helicopters and spy planes.

The announcement came at the end of overnight's meeting of the Turkish Military Industries' Supreme Staff chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish Chief of Staff, General, Hilmi Ozkok and Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul participated at the meeting.

The staff resources said " This decision comes in the framework of the new Turkish policy which rejects the strategic military cooperation with Israel." The resources noted that the Justice and Development Party Government has sought, during the last time, to freeze its relations with Israel in protest against its daily brutal practices against the Palestinian people.

The sources also noted to Erdogan's rejection to receive the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last year, cancellation visits of a number of Israeli Ministers to Turkey in addition to cancellation of Foreign Minister's scheduled visit to Israel because of the Israeli assassination policy against the Palestinian people.

Turkish government's resources made clear that Ankara would announce new tenders where European companies for industrialization of weapons will take part in.

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