Manama: A new crisis is simmering between former allies Turkey and Israel after Tel Aviv refused to renew the work permits and visas of hundreds of Turks working in Israel.
According to Turkish media, the workers were told by their Turkish employer Yılmazlar Holding that they will have to leave Israel before January 31 following the non-renewal of their permits.
"This is a new crisis with Israel," the company said, adding that on top of Israel's request for the workers to leave, the government did not extend their visas.
The 800 workers, who staged a protest on December 28 in Tel Aviv, had been working as part of a tank modernization deal between Israel and Turkey since 2002.
"Their contracts originally continued until 2015. A written warning from Israel to the workers has left them in a tough situation. [We have] informed the Prime Ministry and the government. This is unacceptable," the company said. "Thousands of Israeli companies are active in Turkey without any trouble. We expect the Turkish government to intervene. We are seeing that the Turkish government has left us at the mercy of the Israeli government. We invite our government to fulfill its duty."
The workers owe their current jobs to Israel's winning the $860 million tender to modernize 170 M60 battle tanks for Turkey in 2002. The agreement at the time said Israel should get at least $180 million worth of supplies from Turkey, Hurriyet Daily News reported on Friday.
However, Israel was not able to do so and in 2003, Yılmazlar Holding came into the picture when the use of a Turkish workforce in Israel was proposed as compensation.
As part of the "offset agreement," 800 Turkish workers received special permits to work in Israel.
"The three-year work permits were extended three times," the company said. "The last extension expired on January 1."
Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated following irreconcilable public divergences over attitudes towards Palestinians besieged in Gaza and a deadly Israeli attack on a Turkish flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the Strip.