The United States is refusing to allow its Air Force to participate in the annual Turkish-sponsored Anatolian Eagle military drill without Israel.
According to sources in Washington quoted by Turkish daily newspaper the Hurriyet, the U.S. told Ankara it would skip the October exercises if the IAF is not also invited. Washington apparently sent the message to Turkey after invitations for the drill, held annually since 2001, were sent out to several nations, but not to Israel.
Last year was the first time that Turkey excluded the Israel Air Force from the multi-national exercise.
Eventually Ankara was forced to cancel the event after both Italy and the U.S. pulled out as well.
Turkey's Muslim-led government has increasingly moved closer towards its Muslim neighbors in the region, cementing diplomatic, economic and military ties with Syria, Iran and Lebanon.
In June, Ankara voted against imposing a fourth round of sanctions against Iran by the United Nations Security Council, levied in hopes of pressuring Tehran into ending its uranium enrichment program. Instead, Turkey cut its own deal with Iran, accepting uranium from Tehran for enrichment abroad.
Senior Turkish diplomats traveled to Washington D.C. last week hoping to soothe American ire over the United Nations flap and explain the NATO ally had not yet completely abandoned the West. But Turkey's ongoing tensions with Jerusalem over the blockade of Gaza and counter terrorism operations against the Hamas terror regime that rules the region have created diplomatic difficulties for the once-close allies and also for Turkish-U.S. relations.