Israel and Turkey vow to boost ties

Israel and Turkey pledged to deepen what Israel called their "strategic cooperation" despite strong criticism raised at a meeting of Islamic countries in Iran.

"Our relationship is a strategic one," Israel's visiting defense minister, Yitzhak Mordechai, told reporters at a meeting in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart, Ismat Sezgin.

"We are happy with the pace of development in our relations and we will do everything we can to boost those ties in political, military and industrial fields," Mordechai said.

Both defense ministers said Turkish-Israeli cooperation was not against the interests of any third parties. "Turkey and Israel want to guarantee peace and stability in the region," Sezgin said, adding, "our military cooperation is mainly based on training."

"Our cooperation will only strengthen peace, and will not be directed against anyone else," Mordechai said.