Second Turkish affront administered to Israel in a week
April 29, 2009, 8:44 PM (GMT+02:00)
Turkey's army chief Gen. Ilker Basburg brushed off the Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak's comment that the joint Turkish-Syrian military exercise was "disturbing."
Barak referred to the first exercise Turkey, Israel's longstanding military ally and NATO member, had ever staged with an Arab nation, Israel's avowed foe Syria. Gen. Basbug said it was only a border exercise, small-scale and "none of anybody's business."
"Why would it concern Israel? We will not ask for permission from anybody else [to conduct such exercises], he said."
DEBKAfile's military sources, who first broke the story about the maneuver earlier this week, noted that the Turkish general made a point of mentioning his "extensive talks with the visiting US Chief of General Staff" and their four-hour long "exchange of views on a range of issues."
This confirmed DEBKAfile's earlier report that the Turkish-Syrian exercise had received Washington's nod. To see this report, click HERE
Basburg also boasted about his meeting with US President Obama"s national security advisor Jones during President Obama's visit to Turkey early April.