"Turkey and Israel have mutual interests [in defense cooperation], and projects are being conducted in this framework," he told reporters visiting Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, in connection with the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2009. Bayar stated that no problems should be expected in this respect. "As these are long-term projects. We cannot modify projects in their final phase. Any change will take time," he said, adding that Turkish-Israeli interests are mutual. According to 2007 figures, arms procurement deals between Turkey and Israel have reached about $2 billion. This amount, which has been in favor of Israel, should now be over $2 billion, bearing in mind that some projects, though few, have been signed with Israel since then.
Despite earlier Turkish uneasiness over Israel's failure to deliver military technology, Israel continues to be the major country that does not deny military technology to Turkey in areas where Ankara is seriously lacking.
"No change is planned in ongoing projects. As for future projects, our stance will be to consider Turkey's interests. In the final analysis, the decisions on all projects are made by the Defense Industry Implementation Committee [SSİK]. The SSİK is presided over by the prime minister. The chief of general staff and the defense minister attend its meetings. This committee is capable of shaping the country's policy. In the decision making phase of projects, we act according to its guidance. Nevertheless, my observation is that all of our projects are implemented according to the country's interests," he said.
Turkey and Israel signed military cooperation and defense industry agreements in 1996.
Bayar also commented on the impact of the global economic crisis on the defense sector.
"The sector is currently unaffected as resources are predefined and projects are long-term projects," he said. Pointing out that short-term changes in the sector are generally not possible for the sector, Bayar noted that the crisis had some benefits for the sector by causing a drop in many hidden costs. Yet, he said, companies dealing with raw materials as well as other companies affiliated with the defense industry may be affected by the crisis.
"In these sectors, for example, in the automotive sector, there are some private companies that produce vehicles both for the military and for the private sector. These companies are likely to be hit by the crisis. The defense industry's affiliated sectors, too, may be affected, but I do not expect problems for the main contractors. I guess all of them saw increases in their turnovers in 2008, and this is likely to also continue in 2009," he said.
Major military projects between Turkey and Israel
Under a deal signed on Dec. 25, 2008, the Turkish Air Force Command (THKK) will upgrade 12 of its McDonnell Douglas RF-4E photographic reconnaissance aircraft with imagery intelligence (IMINT) systems. Elta Systems and Elbit Systems Electro-Optics-Elop, subsidiaries of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems, respectively, will supply IMINT systems over a four-year period. Turkey's Aselsan will act as the systems integrator. The upgrade is intended to provide the THKK with a real-time intelligence-gathering capability. It is understood that there are plans to integrate the same IMINT systems onto F-16 aircraft should they prove successful with the RF-4Es. The Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) RF-4E aircraft are operated by its 113 Squadron based at Eskisehir. The cost of the project is around $165 million, including the $24 million share of Turkey's Aselsan, which will be the main contractor on the project.
Israel's IMI has already started the delivery of the 170 US-made M60 A1 tanks from Turkey's inventory that Israel modernized at a cost of around $1 billion under an agreement signed between Israel and Turkey that became effective in November 2002.
Israel delivered two of 10 long-delayed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Turkey on Nov. 29. Two of the Heron UAV systems arrived in Turkey while the delivery of the remaining eight systems it still awaited. However, the Aselsan-developed electro optical payload (Aselfir300T) prevents the Heron UAVs from reaching a desired altitude of 30,000 feet due to its high weight of 120 kilograms. There are now reports that Turkey may abandon plans to install the Aselfir300T systems on the Israeli Herons to quicken their delivery to the TSK. Turkey signed a $183 million contract with Israel's IUP consortium (then Israeli Aircraft Industries and Elbit Systems) in 2005 for the delivery of the 10 Heron UAVs. But the delivery of the Herons faced an almost two year delay due to problems that have occurred over Aselsan systems. As a stop-gap measure, the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) purchased three Israeli Aeronautics-made tactical Aerostar UAVs, and an Israeli Aerospace Industries Searcher tactical UAV was also bought to replace a Heron UAV that crashed in July of last year on a mission in the Southeast.
A $118 million contract was signed with Israel in July 2002 for the co-production of counter measure dispenser systems (CMDS) currently being equipped on an unspecified number of Turkish helicopter platforms in the inventory of the TSK. When Israel failed to obtain critical SA-7A and SA-7B surface-to-air missile technology from Russia so that Turkey would be able to domestically develop similar types of missiles, Ankara purchased reverse engineering training technology from Belarus's Biltek company. CMDS have been part of Turkey's Helicopter Electronic Warfare Suite (HEWS) project in order to fulfill the TSK's self protection requirements amid threatening environments as well to increase its capabilities in the field of helicopter electronic warfare. The HEWS project was launched in 1997 when outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists shot down a Turkish Super Cobra in May 1997 and a Cougar helicopter in June 1997 using Russian SA-7 "Grail" surface-to-air missiles provided by Iran and supplied through Armenia in which 13 personnel were killed. In another incident in November 1998, 16 Turkish personnel were killed when their Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk utility helicopter was shot down by the PKK.
Israel's IAI completed in 2002 and 2003 the modernization of 54 Turkish F-4Es bringing them to Phantom 2000 standard in a project code named F-4E/2020. The 54 F-4Es are equipped with AGM-142 Popeye medium-range air-to-surface missiles. The upgrade of the 54 F-4Es in an agreement that was signed in January 1997 was financed through an Israeli state credit amounting to over $700 million.
An Israeli and a Singapore consortium modernized 48 F-5A/B and NF-5A/B fighters as lead-in trainers for Turkish F-16s. The first four aircraft were modernized at Eskişehir 1st Air Support and Maintenance Center Command under Israel's IAI's responsibility while the remaining 44 aircraft was upgraded by the Turkish personnel in cooperation with Israel. The project is valued at about $130 million. The modernization involved avionics and structural changes to the F-5s under an agreement signed on Sept. 24, 1998 between the SSM and a consortium comprising IAI, Elbit and Singapore Aerospace. The project went into effect in 1999. IAI has been in charge of system integration, Elbit in software and Singapore Aerospace has been responsible for mechanical harness and routing installations. The project is code named F-5/2000.
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