Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
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Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro <strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Basm ()z<strong>et</strong>i<br />
The following news report may not be republished or redistributed,<br />
the prior written consent of Reuters Ltd.<br />
in whole or in part, without<br />
By Daren Butler<br />
ANKARA, Aprilll (Reuter) - Turkey announced on Friday a $3l-billion mo<strong>de</strong>rnisation<br />
programme for its armed forces, the second largest in NATO, in a move <strong>de</strong>signed to build the<br />
domestic arms industry.<br />
"Thirty-one billion U.S. dollars has been programmed for the Turkish armed forces<br />
mo<strong>de</strong>rnisation," Defence Minister T urhan T ayan told a news conference.<br />
Turkey is seeking greater self-reliance in the <strong>de</strong>fence industry because attempts to buy arms<br />
from the We~t have often heen hin<strong>de</strong>red by human rights concerns.<br />
The programme inclu<strong>de</strong>s plans to buy more than 100 helicopters and more than 600<br />
armoured vehicles and to construct five frigates. There are also plans for the mo<strong>de</strong>rnisation of<br />
over 100 F-4 and F-16 planes, as well as the manufacture and mo<strong>de</strong>rnisation of tanks.<br />
T ayan said it was the first time such a <strong>de</strong>tailed <strong>de</strong>fence programme, aimed at local makers,<br />
had been presented.<br />
"It is expected that the 10-year acquisition programme will have a positive influence on the<br />
<strong>de</strong>velopment of industrial groups and their future plans," he said.<br />
The plan was conceived as a way to regenerate the domestic <strong>de</strong>fence industry, born out of<br />
an embargo against Turkey following its invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974.<br />
Turkey has struggled with embargos and arms procurement <strong>de</strong>lays in recent years because<br />
of its human rights record in its fight with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels.<br />
The U.S. CoOngresshalted the sale of 10 Cobra attack helicopters to Turkey last year in<br />
concern over their possible use against the guerrillas. A planned purchase of three navy frigates<br />
from Washington was also blocked.<br />
Turkey's <strong>de</strong>fence activities inclu<strong>de</strong> consi<strong>de</strong>rable foreign involvement and Tayan said the<br />
programme would involve international companies with the necessary technology.<br />
"In or<strong>de</strong>r for the future investment to be economic it is a necessity to address not only the<br />
domestic mark<strong>et</strong>, but the foreign mark<strong>et</strong> as well," he said.<br />
Among cooperation proposals un<strong>de</strong>r consi<strong>de</strong>ration since Islamist Necm<strong>et</strong>tin Erbakan<br />
became prime minister was <strong>de</strong>velopment of a joint aircraft assembly industry with Indonesia.<br />
Ankara already has a <strong>de</strong>fence industry cooperation <strong>de</strong>al with Israel, which inclu<strong>de</strong>s a $600<br />
million accord un<strong>de</strong>r which an Israeli company is upgrading Turkey's F-4 Phantom fighters.<br />
Turkish Islamists, including Erbakan, have criticised the <strong>de</strong>al, which has also drawn protests<br />
from Iran and many in the Arab world.<br />
In February, Turkey signed $543 million worth of <strong>de</strong>als with the French-German group<br />
Eurocopter to build 30 Cougar helicopters and with the U.S. firm Sikorsky to buy Sea Hawk<br />
helicopters.<br />
Turkey's state <strong>de</strong>fence company Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and other Turkish<br />
firms will account for 30 percent of the $430 million <strong>de</strong>al with Eurocopter.<br />
The Turkish armed forces number 639,000, with more than 4,000 tanks and more than 400<br />
combat aircraft, according to data published by the <strong>Institut</strong>e for Strategic Studies.<br />
Western governments are concerned about an arms race b<strong>et</strong>ween Turkey and Greece for<br />
military dominance in the eastern Mediterranean.<br />
REUTER<br />
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