Turkey / Israel - Political Situation Jeopardises Heron Maintenance
Turkey’s decision to sever military ties with Israel risks creating liabilities on the status of already delivered weapons systems and other equipment that is still being delivered. Last year Turkey completed receipt of 10 Heron UAS worth $183 million from Israel Aerospace Industries.
Turkish military electronics company Aselsan was also a subcontractor in the deal. One Turkish Heron crashed in Mardin province earlier this year, but nine are presently operational.
In defence-industry deals between countries, there are usually clauses that define maintenance, repair and other post-sale services to be provided by the seller. But it is not clear what will happen to such deals following Turkey’s cutting of military ties with Israel. “This is still very new and the situation is fluid. We need to clarify a number of things,” one senior procurement official told the Hürriyet Daily News over the weekend.
Murad Bayar, head of the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, Turkey’s procurement agency, told the Turkish press in August that the country’s defence industry was increasingly developing and that Ankara no longer needed to do business with Israel – apparently a reference to new defence industry business.
“Will the Herons, which have been valuable in the fight against terrorism, continue to operate, or will new Kirpis be produced? This need clarification,” said one defence analyst.
“I believe the two countries will find a solution. I think the Israeli government and companies will have no objections against continued limited cooperation,” a second analyst said. But Turkey and Israel are not expected to sign any new deals in the foreseeable future.
Turkey moved last week to cut all military ties with Israel, also announcing it would expel the Israeli ambassador in Ankara, after part of a U.N. report on last year’s deadly Israeli attack on a Turkish-led flotilla bound for Gaza was leaked to the press. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu also announced that diplomatic relations would be reduced to the level of second secretaries, and that all higher-level diplomats from both nations would return home this week. He also said Turkey did not recognise Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
Source: Hurriyet Daily News
