Speaking to Israel Radio on Tuesday, senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad stated military ties between Israel and Turkey have not been severed. His statement comes on the heels of announcements from Turkish officials last week that Israel’s senior diplomats are being ousted and military ties being significantly reduced.

Gilad stressed that Israel’s military attaché to Turkey will remain in position, continuing in his post. He warned that “Turkey has a great deal to lose from its extreme behavior”.

When asked to comment on statements warning of an all out regional war made by the commander of the Homefront Command, Major-General Eyal Eisenberg, Gilad, a retired IDF major-general stated this simply is not so, and while there are regional threats, we are far from imminent regional war.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)