No radar info shared with Israel

NATO’s chief and Turkish officials take pains to stress that data from the alliance’s missile system will not be shared with non-members, particularly Israel.

Data collected by an early-warning NATO radar system in Turkey will not be transferred to Israel, both Turkish and NATO officials confirmed Feb. 17, underlining that the missile defense project was designed to protect NATO territories and populations.

“Data is shared within our allies, among our allies. It’s a defensive system to protect the populations of NATO allies,” Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Turkey’s membership in the alliance.

Following insistent questions from Turkish media and lawmakers, Rasmussen had to repeat several times that “it was a NATO system and the data within the system will not be shared with third countries.”

However, Davutoglu was firmer in singling out Israel from “third countries” when he said, “Especially if it’s about Israel, our view is clear.”

Turkey decided to deploy an U.S. early warning radar system in the eastern province of Malatya’s Kurecik area after long negotiations with the alliance. NATO assured Turkey that the data to be collected by the system would be processed at a NATO base in Ramstein, Germany, where a senior Turkish commander will also be stationed.

The anti-ballistic missiles designed to shoot down any incoming missile will be station on Aegis vessels in the eastern Mediterranean until new such missiles can be deployed in Romania and Poland as part of the program.

Rasmussen said the system would cover all of Turkey’s territory and population in the event of a ballistic attack.

“We appreciate that Turkey has agreed to host one of the facilities,” Rasmussen said in his first visit to Turkey after the radar system became operational Jan. 1, 2012.

Turkey’s relationship with Israel was severely strained in the aftermath of the Mavi Marmara incident in which nine Turks were killed at the hands of Israeli commandos in 2010. Turkey blocked Israel’s demand to boost its ties with NATO.

“Turkey is a valuable ally and Israel is a valuable partner,” Rasmussen said, adding that NATO was willing to see a speedy reconciliation between its ally and partner. Further cooperation of NATO with Israel was not on the agenda of yesterday’s talks, a diplomat told the Hurriyet Daily News.