In another sign of the deteriorating ties between Israel and Turkey, the Turkish Defense Ministry informed the IDF over the weekend that it has decided not to participate in a naval search-and-rescue exercise planned for next month.
Called Reliant Mermaid, the annual exercise began 10 years ago and included the Israeli, Turkish and American navies. The objective of the exercise is to practice search-and-rescue operations and to familiarize each navy with international partners who also operate in the Mediterranean Sea."
