He is to meet with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

"Mr Shalom will discuss the consequences of the war in Iraq and will reaffirm Israel's traditional position favouring maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity," said the foreign ministry official.

Israel backs its regional ally Turkey's opposition to the establishment of Kurdish state in northern Iraq, which Ankara fears would stoke calls for more autonomy by its own large Kurdish population close to the Iraqi border.

"Mr Shalom will also discuss with Turkish officials several bilateral projects underway including the 887 million dollar contract signed last year for the modernisation of Turkish tanks by Israeli Military Industries," he said.

On Friday, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had given the green light to 800 Turkish construction workers to come to work in Israel, as part of the overall deal to upgrade 170 Turkish M-60 Patton tanks.

The workers' wages will be deducted from the sums which Israel has promised to invest in Turkey, the daily said.

Turkey, a secular Muslim state, has been Israel's main ally in the region since 1996, when they signed a military cooperation accord that caused widespread anger in the Arab world and Iran.

The two have since regularly conducted joint military manoeuvres and strengthened economic ties.

Shalom, formerly Israel's finance minister, became foreign minister last month.

SPACE.WIRE