One need not have in-depth knowledge of the subject to know that Turkish-Israeli relations are in the doldrums, with the favorable winds that might carry what once were mutually beneficial ties back to where they were nowhere in sight. To the contrary ties, already at breaking point over the “Mavi Marmara” incident, appear to have gotten even worse following the Israeli strike against targets in Syria in January.

It therefore comes as a surprise to learn through the media that cooperation between the two countries is continuing in the military industry field, one of the key areas that cemented Turkish-Israeli ties in the past, as well as in the strategic energy field. The surprise is compounded further, given recent angry exchanges between the two countries.

For example, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s remarks in early February, when he accusingly questioned why Syrian President Bashar al Assad, “could not even throw a pebble at the Israeli jets flying over his palace,” combined with his promise that Turkey would not just watch as Israel attacked a Muslim country, openly reflect the sour mood in ties today.

Following Davutoglu’s remarks, which also included an insinuation that Israel had concluded some kind of secret deal with the Assad regime, angry Israeli officials talking to the Israel media accused Turkey of “brazen hypocrisy,” while the conservative Jerusalem Post, in a Feb. 2 editorial, concluded that “The time has come to recognize that Turkey has changed radically — and for the worse.”