Israel Helps Turkey Fight the Kurds

One of the interesting aspects of the air strikes by Turkey against the Kurds is that it is Israel who is helping with the targeting.

Ten days ago, the Turkish television station Star reported that IAI Heron UAVs are being used in the offensive against the Kurds.

The same report stated that Turkey's Chief of Staff, General Yasar Buyukanit, had observed the UAVs' operations in real time, in the operations room of the Batman air force base near the border with Iraq. The intelligence relayed by the UAVs was used by the Turkish Air Force in targeting the Kurdish militants.

However, in the Turkish Daily News report, a Turkish military source is quoted expressing criticism that the IAI and Elbit, which is also part of the Heron program, have failed to meet their contractual obligations and have delayed the supply of UAVs ordered for the Turkish Air Force in 2005.

"The delays have left the TuAF critically short of UAVs when intelligence input from those valuable reconnaissance assets are exceedingly required," the Turkish military official was quoted as saying.

Well, sortof. Strategypage has the story right, the purchase of the Heron UAV was never so simple as the Turkish 'sources' are trying to suggest. Basically it comes down to Turkey wanting some parts supplied by domestic companies, but those companies weren't able to meet the orders. Now that there is a fight against the Kurds, Turkey is taking what they can get.

This story is made more intriguing considering only a few years ago Israel was helping train the Kurds, beside the teams from Jordon no less. Either way, the relationship between the Turkish military and Israel continues to be one of those strange combinations we constantly hear aren't supposed to exist in the Middle East, kind of like Shia Iran helping a Sunni Al Qaeda.

Too much is made of the conventional wisdom of ethnic divides. They exist, sure, but money is a great equalizer. Indirectly, this should continue to send the message to the reason hinted back in September...

The Turkish military and Israel continue to be on the same page. That may seem like a little thing, but every independent analyst would identify both of them the major regional military powers of the Middle East, a list Iran only wishes it belonged on.