The Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert arrived in Turkey for a two-day
official visit with a busy agenda. He is due to have contacts with
the prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, foreign minister Abdullah
Gul, defence minister Vecdi Gonul and president Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

According to Israeli newspapers, which have given extensive coverage
to Olmert's Turkey visit, Turkey's mediating role in certain issues
between Israel and Syria, the Palestinian problem as well as the Black
Sea-Red Sea pipeline project will be on the agenda.

However, "cooperation against Iran's nuclear programme" stands out as
the most crucial item of this visit. According to the Israeli press,
Olmert, who talked about "enhancing the relationship which is already
at a good level" before his departure from Tel Aviv, will try to get
Turkey to share Israel's determination to "prevent Iran from becoming
a nuclear power."

Emphasising Turkey's role as a "a leading Muslim state which remains
at the centre and which may constitute a bridge to Arab countries",
Olmert implied that Turkey can play a coordinating role with other
Arab countries in Israel's policy of targeting Iran.

Turkey's increasing co-operation on military issues and its bilateral
agreements with Israel since 1990's indicate that the co-operation
against Iran's nuclear programme might go beyond diplomatic efforts.
Within the framework of the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) signed
between the two countries, Israel is regularly taking part in the
'Reliant Mermaid' naval exercises and 'Anatolian Eagle' aerial
exercises. While the Israeli fighter plains have been conducting
training flights in the Turkish airspace from the airbase in Konya,
the Israeli commandos have been receiving snow training in Bolu
mountains for some time. The military relations between the two
countries are being supported by co-operation in the fields of defence
industry and intelligence sharing against terrorism.

In the event of a fait-a-compli Israeli attack on Iran, it is still
unclear what role Turkey would play within the framework of its
military agreements, whose content have not been fully disclosed, and
what the consequences would be. Israel, which is sometimes adopting a
tougher attitude against Tehran than the USA, is arguing that it would
target Iran alone if necessary. Israeli deputy prime minister and
minister of strategic affairs Avigdor Lieberman has declared the other
day that Israel might not wait for the approval of the international
community to attack Iran. "We will have to face the Iranians alone,
because Israel cannot remain with arms folded, waiting patiently for
Iran to develop non-conventional weapons", said Lieberman. He accused
the international community in general and the European Union in
particular for their inadequate opposition to Iran's "nuclear goals".
Reporting on the possibility of an Israeli aerial attack on Iran's
nuclear installations, international media organisations point out
that such an attack would not be the first of its kind. In fact,
Israel had launched an aerial attack on Iraq's Osirak Nuclear Reactor
in 1981.

It is believed that Turkey's airspace can be used if Israel launches
such an attack on Iran's nuclear installations. In the event of
possible more comprehensive military operations, such co-operation
might enhance within the framework of bilateral agreements. It is
feared that Israel's use of Turkish territory and air space in
attacking Iran might turn Turkey itself into a target.