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US PLEDGES TO DELIVER PREDATORS, COBRAS TO TURKEY BY END OF YEAR
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Oct 28 2011
The U.S. pledged to deliver three Cobra helicopters and several
Predator surveillance aircraft to Turkey by the end of the year to
aid in the fight against terrorism as two police officers were killed
by suspected militants in the southern province of Osmaniye on Oct. 28.
A senior delegation from the U.S. led by Assistant Secretary of the
Department of Defense Alexander Vershbow visited Ankara on Oct. 27
and held talks with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. They discussed a
list of measures against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
that Turkey had given the U.S.
The U.S. officials said Washington would provide Turkey with three
Cobra helicopters, to be dispatched from U.S. forces in Afghanistan,
stressing that the administration had won a preliminary consent
from the U.S. Congress, a senior Turkish diplomat told the Hurriyet
Daily News.
The two police officers killed Oct. 28, Mehmet Ali Unal and Vahap
Alagöz, were traffic officers reportedly answering a fake call about a
traffic accident when a group of PKK militants attacked them. Osmaniye
Gov. Celalettin Cerrah said one PKK militant was killed in the clash
and operations were underway to capture the other attackers.
Complicated procedure
Under U.S. law, the administration must provide 15 days' formal notice
to Congress before going ahead with a transfer like the Cobra deal
with Turkey. The Turkish diplomat said Washington was planning to
follow the normal procedures, which could result in a short delay in
the transfer to early 2012.
On the issue of Predator drones, the U.S. officials promised to rebase
several aircraft to the İncirlik Air Base from Iraq as its forces are
pulling out, the diplomat said, adding that the number was not clear.
He said Turkey still wanted to buy its own Predators from the United
States but that the purchase would require a complicated approval
process in Congress, posing political risks at a time when Turkey
relations with Israel are on the rocks.
The transfer of U.S. military equipment was part of a list of demands
that Turkey conveyed to the U.S. when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan visited New York in September and held talks with President
Barack Obama.
Following the deadly PKK attacks in Cukurca, "Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Davutoglu agreed to work to
improve counter-terrorism efforts and President Barack Obama told
Prime Minister Erdogan that he would send a team to Turkey to carry
out the work," a U.S. Embassy statement said.
In a related development, Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) has
warned that countries who shelter and encourage PKK militants will be
considered as sharing responsibility for the harm caused by terrorism,
in a statement issued late Oct. 27 after its routine bimonthly meeting.
The MGK also urged friendly countries and allies "to prevent activities
of the terrorist organization and its supporters on their soil, take
the necessary measures to cut off the terrorists' financial channels
and extend efficient support to Turkey's struggle against terrorism."
The MGK asserted Turkey's commitment to cooperate with Iraq and
underlined Ankara's determination and expectations for the eradication
of PKK bases in northern Iraq.
Meanwhile, Erdogan met behind closed doors with Iraqi Vice President
Tareq Hashimi on Oct. 28, after which he held an unscheduled talk
with Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel.
Friday, October 28, 2011
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=us-pledges-to-deliver-predators-cobras-to-turkey-by-end-of-year-2011-10-28
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Oct 28 2011
The U.S. pledged to deliver three Cobra helicopters and several
Predator surveillance aircraft to Turkey by the end of the year to
aid in the fight against terrorism as two police officers were killed
by suspected militants in the southern province of Osmaniye on Oct. 28.
A senior delegation from the U.S. led by Assistant Secretary of the
Department of Defense Alexander Vershbow visited Ankara on Oct. 27
and held talks with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. They discussed a
list of measures against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
that Turkey had given the U.S.
The U.S. officials said Washington would provide Turkey with three
Cobra helicopters, to be dispatched from U.S. forces in Afghanistan,
stressing that the administration had won a preliminary consent
from the U.S. Congress, a senior Turkish diplomat told the Hurriyet
Daily News.
The two police officers killed Oct. 28, Mehmet Ali Unal and Vahap
Alagöz, were traffic officers reportedly answering a fake call about a
traffic accident when a group of PKK militants attacked them. Osmaniye
Gov. Celalettin Cerrah said one PKK militant was killed in the clash
and operations were underway to capture the other attackers.
Complicated procedure
Under U.S. law, the administration must provide 15 days' formal notice
to Congress before going ahead with a transfer like the Cobra deal
with Turkey. The Turkish diplomat said Washington was planning to
follow the normal procedures, which could result in a short delay in
the transfer to early 2012.
On the issue of Predator drones, the U.S. officials promised to rebase
several aircraft to the İncirlik Air Base from Iraq as its forces are
pulling out, the diplomat said, adding that the number was not clear.
He said Turkey still wanted to buy its own Predators from the United
States but that the purchase would require a complicated approval
process in Congress, posing political risks at a time when Turkey
relations with Israel are on the rocks.
The transfer of U.S. military equipment was part of a list of demands
that Turkey conveyed to the U.S. when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan visited New York in September and held talks with President
Barack Obama.
Following the deadly PKK attacks in Cukurca, "Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Davutoglu agreed to work to
improve counter-terrorism efforts and President Barack Obama told
Prime Minister Erdogan that he would send a team to Turkey to carry
out the work," a U.S. Embassy statement said.
In a related development, Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) has
warned that countries who shelter and encourage PKK militants will be
considered as sharing responsibility for the harm caused by terrorism,
in a statement issued late Oct. 27 after its routine bimonthly meeting.
The MGK also urged friendly countries and allies "to prevent activities
of the terrorist organization and its supporters on their soil, take
the necessary measures to cut off the terrorists' financial channels
and extend efficient support to Turkey's struggle against terrorism."
The MGK asserted Turkey's commitment to cooperate with Iraq and
underlined Ankara's determination and expectations for the eradication
of PKK bases in northern Iraq.
Meanwhile, Erdogan met behind closed doors with Iraqi Vice President
Tareq Hashimi on Oct. 28, after which he held an unscheduled talk
with Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel.
Friday, October 28, 2011
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=us-pledges-to-deliver-predators-cobras-to-turkey-by-end-of-year-2011-10-28