TEHRAN -- The Zionist regime is trying to persuade the Turkish government to buy more arms from that regime.

Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer began a day of talks with Turkish leaders in Ankara on Monday to boost the already strong military cooperation between the two allies.

Mainly Muslim but secular Turkey has been the Zionist regime's chief regional ally since 1996, when the two signed a military cooperation accord.

Eliezer was scheduled to meet with his Turkish counterpart Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, Chief of Staff Huseyin KivriKoglu, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer before leaving Ankara late on Monday.

The Turkish government recently cancelled some contracts for the purchase of weapons from Israel due to the serious economic crisis facing that country. Consequently, the Zionist media reported that the cancellation of these contracts had dealt a heavy blow to the Zionist regime's arms manufacturing industry.