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Israel and Turkey Plan Joint Missile Defense Shield Against Iran
ANKARA, 29 July (IslamOnline & News Agencies)- Israel and Turkey have held intensive discussions on the future of arms sales to Ankara and alleged future threats to the two countries by Iran's missile development program, news agencies reported Sunday.
The discussions took place during the visit on Friday by Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz to Turkey.
Mofaz met with top Turkish defense officials Friday to discuss the close defense relations between the two countries, the Turkish daily news online reported.
Mofaz, who arrived in Ankara Thursday night, met with Turkish Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu in addition to a head-to-head meeting with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu Friday.
Stressing that there are strong relations between Turkey and Israel in many fields, Cakmakoglu said they discussed joint defense projects.
The primary purpose of the visit was defense cooperation, the Turkish daily online reported.
Both sides agreed to continue talks to create a joint missile defense shield to protect the two allies from neighboring countries such as Iran, which is allegedly expected to reach nuclear capability by the year 2005.
During his recent visit on July 9; in reference to the development of the Shihab III missiles by Iran, Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer expressed concern over the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran poses the biggest threat in the region with its Shihab missiles. The Shihab-4 missile has a range of up to 2,000 km, which means it could reach both Turkey and Israel's vital cities, according to Turkish and Israeli intelligence reports, western news agencies reported.
Mofaz promised that he would lobby the U.S. for the involvement of Ankara in the Arrow 2 project as both countries continue talks for the co-production of the air-to-surface Popeye 2 missiles.
Turkey and Israel have both signaled initial support for the plan, the Turkish daily added.
Mofaz also reportedly lobbied for Israel to push for the modernization of Turkey's 170 outdated M-60 tanks.
A number of projects, such as anti-tank projects, a remote spy satellite, the upgrading of M-60 tanks, Gil anti-tank missiles and the possibility of selling to Turkey Israel's Arrow missile, which is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles, were also on the agenda of the meetings.
This week, Israeli radical premier Ariel Sharon is scheduled to continue the discussions when he arrives in Ankara were he is scheduled to travel to Turkey on August 8.
Israel and Turkey have held joint naval exercises. Currently Israel is helping to refurbish Turkish Air Force F-4 warplanes and Israeli pilots are training over Turkish skies. The details of the joint land maneuver, which will be held in upcoming months, were also dealt with.
In the meantime, Turkey is starting to receive Iranian natural gas that Iran declared Sunday it will begin providing to Turkey Monday in line with an August 1996 agreement.
"The project for the supply of Iranian natural gas will be inaugurated Monday," the Iranian oil ministry confirmed in a statement Sunday.
The first year, Iran will export 3.0 billion cubic meters (105 billion cubic feet) of gas, the ministry said, adding this volume should gradually increase and reach 10 billion cubic meters (350 billion cubic feet) by 2007.
In line with a bilateral agreement reached last year, the contract was extended from 22 to 25 years, the statement said.
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