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Source: http://www.turkishweekly.net/comments.php?id=896
Turkish-Israeli Ties
(Turkish Weekly) Ayse Karabat - Despite the occasional tensions, Turkish-Israeli ties never come to the point of breaking. At the time the war on Iraq started, some Turks, including some state officials, got suspicious about the designs of Israel for the future of Iraq. Maybe Israel wants an independent Kurdish state. This was the beginning of a new "cold cycle" of relations. But Prime Minister Erdogan, who is a pragmatist, sent his four advisers to Tel Aviv and then Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. The death of Arafat served the interest of Ankara-Tel Aviv relations, too. Erdogan will visit Israel next week. There are almost 2,500 Israeli companies working in Turkey or doing business with Turkey, not to mention the almost 300,000 Israeli tourists coming to Turkey every year. Israel sells $700 million and buys $1.3 billion from Turkey.