JERUSALEM, Oct. 12 -- Israeli army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Amnon Shahak has left for Turkey for what an army spokesman described as a reciprocal visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi, who visited Israel in February. His four-day visit also includes meetings with Turkey's President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, the spokesman said in a statement.
Israel and Turkey have drawn closer in recent years. Israeli air force pilots have flown training sorties over Turkey, while Turkish pilots have trained in Israel and the two countries plan joint naval maneuvers later this year with U.S. participation. Israel is also upgrading 54 Turkish F-4 Phantom jets in a $600 million deal. The developing relations have concerned Arab countries, particularly Syria, which borders both Turkey and Israel. ---
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