Israel Announces Resumption of Major Arms Deal With Turkey

As Turkey Adds Warplanes to Border, They Will Have Israeli Upgrades

by Jason Ditz, February 18, 2013

A key arms deal between Israel and Turkey is back on, after being stalled for two and a half years in the wake of the Mavi Marmara killings. is set to resume, with Israeli upgrades will be provided to Turkish warplanes under the terms of the deal.

Israel agreed to the resumption amid US pressure, as Turkey is adding warplanes to the Syrian border. The warplanes were provided by Boeing, but the upgrades have yet to be installed except for two initial installs done before 2010.

Boeing was apparently a big part of the US pushing the deal’s resumption, complaining that Israel’s refusal to follow through on their part of the deal was “hurting their business.” The deliveries are expected in the coming weeks.

The loss of a Turkish warplane along the Syrian border in June was cited as the official reason, of course, as pushing a deal through simply for Boeing would seem a little unseemly for the Obama Administration. Still, it is unclear that the upgrades would have done anything to prevent the shoot-down of a plane flying so low and fast toward the Syrian coast.

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