Turkey denies anti-Iran defence pact

Turkey's Foreign Ministry has denied a report that appeared in British daily the Sunday Times that Turkey is planning to make an anti-Iran defense cooperation agreement with Israel and three Arab states. Ministry spokesperson Levent Gumrukcu called the report "unreal and manipulative." "We invite the public to be prudent in the face of such manipulative news in such a sensitive period," Gumrukcu said. Citing an unnamed Israeli official, the Sunday Times said Israel was preparing to make "a defense crescent" with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan to establish a warning system against Iranian missiles. The daily said the proposal dubbed as "4+1" would involve technicians from the five countries working together in joint command-and-control centers.