Ankara, May 11, SPA -- In a further sign that Turkish-Israeli relations are warming, the head of Turkey's powerful National Security Council plans to visit Israel next week to discuss terrorism and issues of jointstrategic interest, The Associated Press quoted a diplomat as saying on Wednesday. Yigit Alpogan, the secretary-general of the NationalSecurity Council, which groups Turkish political andmilitary leaders, is the latest senior official to head tothe Jewish state. Alpogan was expected to meet his Israeli counterpart onTuesday to discuss a range of issues of common strategicinterest, including terrorism, an Israeli Embassy officialsaid, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. Turkey is a key trading partner for Israel, and the tworegional powers have had close military ties for years. U.S. officials have strongly encouraged those ties andU.S. President George W. Bush reportedly stressed theimportance of Turkish-Israeli ties when he met with TurkishPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer last year.--SPA1413 Local Time 1113 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/261525