For the record: US, Turkish ships arrive in Israel for controversial

[english at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl]

   HAIFA, Israel, Jan 5 (AFP) - US and Turkish navy ships arrived  
in this Mediterranean port Monday to begin joint maneuvers with 
Israel amid sharp protests from Arab states worried about a stronger 
Turkish-Israeli alliance. 
   One US ship and two Turkish frigates joined Israeli forces for  
the five-day exercise code-named Reliant Mermaid, Israeli navy 
spokeswoman Gilla Gerzon said. 
   The exercises, organized in the framework of a 1996  
Israel-Turkey military cooperation agreement, involve ships, 
helicopters and aircraft in simulated search-and-rescue operations. 
   The kick-off of the joint maneuvers sparked sharp new criticisms  
of Turkey from several Arab states, which have already said that 
they fear stronger Israeli-Turkish ties could threaten Arab 
security. 
   "The maneuvers ... are one of the consequences of the military  
alliance between Israel and Turkey and reflect the aggressive 
intentions of those two countries against Arabs," the Syria's 
official Tishrin newspaper wrote Monday. 
   Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Mussa warned Turkey that any  
alliance with Israel will provoke a similar response. 
   "Turkey must know that any alliance will trigger the  
establishment of a counter-alliance," Mussa told the Egyptian 
parliament Sunday, according to statements published Monday by the 
government press. 
   The only Arab state involved in the exercises, Jordan, tried to  
shake off widespread Arab criticism of its role by saying Monday it 
is sending just one observer to the maneuvers. 
   "We are not participating ... so we have to use the right  
terminology. We are sending one observer to the exercises," said 
Foreign Minister Fayez Tarawneh. 
   The commander of Jordan's naval forces, rear admiral Hussein  
Khassawneh, left Amman Monday to observe the exercises. 
   The Reliant Mermaid operation begins with two days of land  
preparations. On Wednesday, a seaborne portion is scheduled to take 
place and involve a mock rescue of a sinking fishing ship in the 
eastern Mediterranean, Israeli officials said. 
   The US and Turkish ships are due to depart Israel Friday.  
   The maneuvers were criticised by the Arab League Sunday, while  
Iraq, Libya and Iran have also issued protests. 
   But Turkish-Israeli ties are expected to deepen further after  
the European Union's decision last month not to consider Turkey's 
candidacy to join the 15-nation body. 
   Ankara has already indicated it will now expand relations with  
partners outside Europe, notably the United States and Israel. 
   The joint exercises were originally due to have been held last  
summer and then in November but were postponed each time amid the 
criticism from Arab states. 
   Under their 1996 military agreement, Israel trains Turkish  
pilots in return for the right to conduct training exercises in 
Turkish air space. 
   Israel also signed a 630-million-dollar contract to modernize  
Turkey's F-4 fighters and agreed on joint production of Israel's 
Popeye ground-to-air missile. 
   Last week Turkey announced that Israeli state defense firms had  
also won a 75-million-dollar contract to upgrade F-5 fighter jets in 
collaboration with a firm from Singapore. 
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