Israel believes Turkey is actively helping Iran sidestep economic sanctions and is also turning a blind eye to Iranian weapons smuggling into Syria, according to leaked US diplomatic cables published on Friday.

Citing documents obtained by WikiLeaks, the Haaretz newspaper said senior Israeli officials had told the United States that Turkey was moving ever-closer to Iran because it needed Iranian energy supplies and because it was revising its global strategy.

“[Israeli secret services] said [the] Turkish government is now assisting Iran in by-passing international financial sanctions and is ignoring Iranian weapons smuggling to Syria ... through Turkey,” stated a US cable dated November 2009, according to Today's Zaman.