M I D - E A S T R E A L
I T I E S - QUOTE OF THE WEEK - 4/28/97
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ISRAEL & TURKEY - MAJOR MILITARY ALLIANCE
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"MOST POWERFUL MILITARY
FRIENDSHIP IN THE MIDDLE EAST"
[MER - While the
misnomered "peace process" continues to dominate the news, arms
continue to flood into the Middle East region and possible war preparations
are underway.
The Israeli military, with
ever-increasing U.S. help, has actually increased its military budget since
the "peace process" began. And the Americans have recently agreed
to provide additional hundreds of millions of dollars for anti-missile
defenses, "anti-terrorism", and the prepositioning of military
stockpiles in the U.S. for immediate war-time transfer to Israel.
One of the most important
regional military and political developments in the past few years is the
still-growing Israeli- Turkish/U.S. military alliance. The Israelis are
further badgering and challenging the weak Arab regimes, now with Turkey
added to their arsenal. And the Turkish military is strengthening itself
should it circumvent Turkish "democracy" with a military government
to prevent the Islamic movement from gaining any further power and should
civil war result, as has been the case in Algeria.
Both the U.S. and Israel
have been courting Turkish military leaders urging them to severely pressure
the Turkish government away from its new "Islamic" orientation,
and if not successful to instigate a coup.
.
.
REMARKABLE MILITARY COOPERATION - TURKEY AND
ISRAEL
"OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, TURKEY AND ISRAEL
HAVE QUIETLY FORGED A REMARKABLE PROGRAM OF MILITARY COOPERATION. IN THE
PROCESS, THEY HAVE CREATED WHAT IS NOW THE MOST POWERFUL MILITARY FRIENDSHIP
IN THE MIDDLE EAST... THE RELATIONSHIP CAN ONLY MAKE ISRAELI LEADERS MORE
CONFIDENT THAT THEY CAN TAKE TOUGH POSITIONS IN DEALING WITH THEIR ARAB
NEIGHBORS. AN ALLIANCE WITH TURKEY COULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARD NEUTRALIZING
SYRIA IN ANY MAJOR CRISIS. IT COULD ALSO MAKE SYRIA THINK TWICE ABOUT STIRRING
UP TROUBLE TO ISRAEL'S NORTH, HOWEVER PREOCCUPIED ISRAEL MAY BE WITH QUELLING
UNREST AMONG THE PALESTINIANS."