Reliant Mermaid Sets the Tone for U.S.-Israel-Turkey Cooperation

Today, Israel, Turkey, and the United States (along with observers from Jordan) are conducting search-and-rescue exercises in international waters 20 to 100 miles off Israel’s Mediterranean coast. The exercises, code-named “Reliant Mermaid,” involves only five ships and submarines, plus helicopters and airplanes, and are solely focused on search-and-rescue procedures. The mere fact that the exercises are proceeding is a very important symbol of the resilience of the trilateral relationship.

Postponed several times by the United States because of strident Arab opposition, U.S.

Today, Israel, Turkey, and the United States (along with observers from Jordan) are conducting search-and-rescue exercises in international waters 20 to 100 miles off Israel’s Mediterranean coast. The exercises, code-named “Reliant Mermaid,” involves only five ships and submarines, plus helicopters and airplanes, and are solely focused on search-and-rescue procedures. The mere fact that the exercises are proceeding is a very important symbol of the resilience of the trilateral relationship.

Postponed several times by the United States because of strident Arab opposition, U.S. Navy participation sends the message that the U.S. government has decided that Israel-Turkey cooperation is deserving of a more public show of support.

JINSA has long promoted Israeli-Turkish cooperation as serving the goals of regional stabilization and the beginning of a pro-American security regime. This puts pressure on irredentist regimes such as those in Syria, Iran and Iraq. Turkish officials say more exercises will follow.

Although supportive of the growing ties between its two allies, the U.S. is not trumpeting the relationship just yet. Most Arab states are strongly opposed to the relationship, viewing it as directed against them. Official Egyptian hostility this week grew so strident that, in an unprecedented step, the State Department publicly admonished the Mubarak regime.

Yesterday, the State Department sharply rejected Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Musa’s Jan. 4 call to the Egyptian parliament that, “Turkey must know that any alliance will trigger the establishment of a counterbalance.” Egypt declined an invitation to observe the exercises. In response, State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said: “We’ve made clear we support this relationship. We’ve made clear we support this exercise. And we certainly don’t think it would justify any ramping up of anybody else’s military considerations.”

Other Arab countries also have complained. The Associated Press reported that Iraq, for one, boasted yesterday that its army “has the capability to instill horror in the hearts of the armed forces of the United States, Israel and Turkey.”

In addition to these most recent exercises, Turkish-Israeli military procurement cooperation is proceeding apace. Just last week, a consortium of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Singapore Aerospace won a contract worth $75 million to upgrade 48 Turkish F-5 fighters.

This contract comes in addition to the $630 million deal for IAI to upgrade 54 Turkish F-4 jet fighters. Turkey also will purchase 200 Israeli-made Popeye air-to-ground missiles, and there are plans for co-production of an upgraded Popeye. Israel is rumored to be contracting to buy 50 Turkish-made armored vehicles.