ANKARA (Reuters)–Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Friday Turkey had decided to award a tank modernization contract to Israel’s state defense contractor Israel Military Industries (IMI).
Speaking after a meeting of a defense industry committee–Ecevit said the total value of the contract including the modernization of 170 M-60 tanks and some other unspecified items was $668 million.
NATO-member Turkey is Israel’s closest Muslim ally and the two countries have long-standing military cooperation agreemen’s.
