Tag: joint military exercise

Pak-Turkey air exercise concludes

* Five Turkish F16s, combat pilots participated in the exercise

ISLAMABAD: The international air exercise Indus Viper-II between the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Turkish Air Force (TuAF) concluded at an operational air base of the PAF on Sunday.

TuAF Chief of Operations Maj Gen Ares Mehmat was the chief guest at the culmination ceremony. PAF Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) Air Marshal Waseemud Din and Turkish Ambassador M Babur Hizlan were also present at the occasion. The Turkish Air Force contingent comprising five F16s C&D (Fighting Falcons), combat pilots and ground technical crew participated in the air exercise, conducted from March 4 to16.

The Pakistan Air Force emphasises on the combat training of its air and ground crew and regularly undertakes air exercises with allied air forces. These exercises not only play a vital role in honing the combat skills of PAF aircrew but also enable them to learn the latest air power employment strategies in complex theatres of warfare.

The prime objective of the exercise was to excel in the air combat capability with focus on air power employment in any future conflict. The Pakistan Air Force conducts such exercises on regular intervals both inland and abroad. Air Exercise Indus Viper II provided an opportunity to combat crew of both the air forces to acquaint themselves with applied tactics of air power in near real scenario.

Pakistan Air Force has been participating in a number of international air exercises with some of the best air forces of the world, including the United States Air Force (USAF), Italian Air Force, Turkish Air Force and air forces of other allied countries. Exercise Anatolian Eagle is conducted on alternate year. Similarly, exercises Red Flag and Green Flag are conducted between the PAF and USAF on alternate years. Last year the PAF conducted the operational exercise Shaheen-I with PLA Air Force.

The brotherly countries Pakistan and Turkey have a long history of military cooperation. To enhance mutual understanding between the two air forces, the PAF and TuAF have been successfully conducting joint exercises for many decades. Exercise Indus Viper-II was also planned in the same backdrop and is the second air exercise in this category. agencies

via Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan – Pak-Turkey air exercise concludes.

March 18, 2013
Turkey, Pakistan boost military ties

Turkey, Pakistan boost military ties

Security analysts and politicians say Turkey and Pakistan have strong military co-operation and many areas of mutual interest.

By Alakbar Raufoglu

2013-03-08

Turkey and Pakistan are expanding ties through joint military exercises and defence production, building on a long tradition of military co-operation.

Pakistani naval forces participate in a multinational counter-terrorism exercise, AMAN-13, around Manora Island, 30km from Karachi on the north Arabian Sea. Pakistan and Turkey are boosting their military co-operation, including counter-terror efforts. [REUTERS]

Pakistan’s defence minister, Syed Naveed Qamar, visited Ankara early this month to discuss with his Turkish counterparts the possibilities of local production, co-production, and transfer of technology for defence-related products according to the needs of the two countries.

Qamar referred to a recent agreement to build a fleet tanker for Pakistan’s navy by Turkish defence firm STM, describing it as “a best model for our future defence co-operation,” the Pakistani Embassy said in a statement.

Likewise, Ankara views a project to upgrade F-16 fighter jets of Pakistan undertaken by Turkish Aerospace Industries as a symbol of defence co-operation.

Turkey and Pakistan also decided to raise the level of the High Level Military Dialogue Group, an institutional mechanism that was created in 2002 between the two countries’ general staffs and has had eight meetings so far.

This week, the two countries began joint military exercises to contribute to defence co-operation and exchange of experience and information on military equipment, according to a statement by the Turkish general staff.

Five Turkish F-16s are participating in the Indus Viper-2013 exercise at the Mushaf Air Base in Punjab Province in Pakistan for the first time since 2008. The joint exercise runs from March 4-18.

A combined naval military exercise code-named AMAN-13 is also being hosted by Pakistan in the Arabian Sea, with the participation of Turkish frigate TCG Gokova (F-496), one underwater defence, an underwater assault team and two staff officers.

Defence co-operation goes hand in hand with anti-terror co-operation

In addressing the recent efforts, President Abdullah Gul, while meeting with Qamar last week, said, “the whole world recognises the sacrifices of the people and troops of Pakistan in fighting terrorism and extremism,” referring to the regional situation.

Celalettin Yavuz, a Middle East security analyst at the Ankara-based Centre for International Relations and Strategic Analysis, said that the Pakistani-Turkish defence relationship “is a special one marked by an immense reservoir of goodwill on both sides.”

“The thing is, our areas of interests are not crossing each other, even though there are some topics where the countries don’t follow the same policy. … But they have never been against each other,” he told SES Türkiye.

And Burhan Kayaturk, an AKP deputy and chairman of the Turkey-Pakistan Friendship Group in the Turkish parliament, highlighted the “strong co-operation potential” between the two countries’ defence systems.

Turkey, he added, “has never intended to implement hard power” in the region. Instead it is promoting leadership through “soft power” in diplomacy and the economy.

“However, we can’t stay calm when terrorists are targeting us, our people, our partners in the region. Pakistan and Turkey have more potential to work together and address the regional challenges,” he added.

via Turkey, Pakistan boost military ties – Central Asia Online.

March 10, 2013
Georgia and Turkey discuss joint military exercises

Georgia, Tbilisi, 16 Feb. / Trend N.Kirtskhalia /

Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania and Chief of Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Army General Necdet Ozel agreed on issues of conducting joint military exercises at a meeting in Ankara on Saturday, the Georgian Defense Ministry told Trend.

According to the ministry, the meeting discussed matters related to strategic partnership of the two neighboring states, particularly, the future cooperation and joint exercises.

On Saturday, the Georgian delegation also met with representatives of the defense industry of Turkey.

Within the visit, Alasania and delegation members met with the management of the committee for defense and security of Turkish Parliament.

During the meeting, the sides discussed both military cooperation and strategic partnership between the two countries. The Turkish side also expressed its full support for Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO.

via Georgia and Turkey discuss joint military exercises – Trend.Az.

February 17, 2013
Baku to Host Azerbaijan-Turkey Joint Military Training

Baku to Host Azerbaijan-Turkey Joint Military Training

TEHRAN (FNA)- Azerbaijani and Turkish servicemen are expected to hold military training in March, reports said.

The training will be attended by one rifle of Azerbaijani Armed Forces and one detachment from Turkey. The training purposes to organize joint activity of forces in the operations, APA reported.

The training will be held in accordance with military cooperation plan of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Last year, servicemen of Azerbaijani Armed Forces took part in several trainings in Turkey. Last time, a special group of Azerbaijani armed forces participated in the Caucasus Eagle-2012.

via Fars News Agency :: Baku to Host Azerbaijan-Turkey Joint Military Training.

January 7, 2013
China and Turkey eye trade boost

Turkey and China intend to triple bilateral trade to $50bn within five years, the countries’ leaders have said after meetings aimed at strengthening political and business ties.

At a joint news conference held in the Turkish capital Ankara, Tayyib Erdogan, the prime minister, said: “We set ourselves a timetable. We agreed to increase our trade volume to $50bn in 2015 and to $100bn in 2020.”

Erdogan’s Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, hailed what he described as a new “strategic partnership”, saying he recognised Turkey’s “power and influence in the international community and its region”.

Both countries – the fastest growing economies in the world – sealed agreements to co-operate in energy, transport and infrastructure.

Erdogan said the two countries have also agreed to carry out their trade in their national currencies.

‘Important milestone’

Wen, the first Chinese premier to visit Turkey in eight years, said he wanted to “turn over a new leaf” in ties with Turkey. He also held talks with Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, and business leaders before returning home on Saturday.

Turkey was the last stop on Wen’s European tour, which took him to Greece, Belgium and Brussels.

He described his two-day visit as an “important milestone in relations”.

Turkey’s ties with China have been strained at times, notably over Beijing’s approach to unrest in Xinjiang, home to China’s Muslim Turkish minority Uighurs.

The two leaders did not, however, address one of the few areas of tension in bilateral ties.

Hundreds of Uighur Turks held demonstrations during Wen’s visit, denouncing Beijing’s handling of the unrest which killed 184 people in Xinjiang in 2009.

Turkey accepts China’s sovereignty over Xinjiang, but last year heavily criticised the deadly violence in the region, which it described as “atrocities”.

Wen’s tour of Europe was also overshadowed by a dispute with the European Union and the US over the level of the yuan.

In the Greek capital Athens, he pledged investment and support to debt-stricken Greece and announced the creation of a $5bn fund to help finance the purchase of Chinese ships by Greek shipping companies.

In Brussels, Wen fended off European pressure to raise the value of the yuan before sealing business deals worth $3.15bn in Rome.

Trade ‘imbalance’

The trade volume between Turkey and China stood at $14.2bn in 2009 – $12.6bn of which consisted of Chinese exports.

Wen said his country was not opposed to looking into ways to redress the imbalance. “The Chinese side will carry out a study in order to sustain our trade without giving a huge deficit,” he said.

One of the agreements would open the way for the joint construction of 4,500km of railway in Turkey, Erdogan said, adding that efforts would now focus on finding the necessary finance for the project.

Chinese companies are already involved in the construction of railroads for two high-speed train links, he added.

Turkey and China are also involved in projects to build oil pipelines from Iran.

Joint military exercise

Turkish newspapers reported last week that Chinese warplanes took part in a military training exercise at an airbase in central Turkey, in what appeared to be the first such drill involving Beijing and a Nato member country.

The Turkish army has not confirmed the exercise.

Turkish press reports also said the Chinese-Turkish manoeuvres took place on September 20 through October 4 at the Konya air base in Turkey’s central Anatolia region – before Wen’s visit.

“To the best of our knowledge, US-made F-16s were not involved in the exercise,” Lieutenant Colonel Tamara Parker, a defence department spokeswoman, said on Friday.

Another Pentagon official, who asked not to be identified, said indications were that the Turkish air force flew F-4 Phantom fighters, used extensively by the US during the Vietnam war, while China flew Russian-built SU-27s.

China, according to reports, has also developed a surface-to-surface rocket-launching system together with Turkey.

October 15, 2010
China mounts air exercise with Turkey, U.S. says

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The air forces of China and Turkey have carried out a joint exercise, the U.S. Defense Department said on Friday, in what appeared to be the first such drill involving Beijing and a NATO member country.

Turkey assured the United States it would take the “utmost care” to protect sensitive U.S. and NATO technologies, said U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Tamara Parker, a department spokeswoman.

She described Turkey’s government as committed to the NATO alliance and the continuation of strong ties to the United States.

“To the best of our knowledge, U.S.-made F-16s were not involved in the exercise,” Parker said. She referred a caller to the Turkish government for details of the maneuvers.

The office of the Turkish defense attache in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.

Turkish press reports have said the exercises took place September 20 through October 4 at the Konya air base in Turkey’s central Anatolia region.

Some U.S. experts described the exercise as underscoring China’s capability to operate beyond its territory.

David Finkelstein, director of China Studies at the CNA research group in Alexandria, Virginia, said it may be the first time China’s People’s Liberation Army air force engaged in a combined exercise with a NATO country in a NATO country.

“Indeed, an incipient expeditionary PLA is in the making,” said Finkelstein.

Another Pentagon official, who asked not to be identified, said indications were that the Turkish air force flew F-4 Phantom fighters, used extensively by the United States during the Vietnam War, while China flew Russian-built SU-27s.

The Chinese-Turkish maneuvers occurred before a visit to Turkey this week by Premier Wen Jiabao. Turkey and China aim to triple two-way trade to $50 billion a year by 2015 under a new “strategic partnership,” Wen told a news conference in Ankara on Friday with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

James Clad, a U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asia from 2007 to 2009, said the drill highlighted Turkey’s “omni-directional” foreign policy.

The dislike by Turkey and the Muslim world of Chinese policies in western China “won’t be going away soon,” added Clad, now with the Defense Department’s National Defense University.

Turkey’s ties with China have been strained at times, notably over Beijing’s tough approach to unrest in Xinjiang, home to China’s Muslim Turkic minority Uighurs.

“It seems the Turks opted to react to overtures from the Chinese which, with appropriate technological restrictions, could prove useful in assessing Chinese air capabilities,” Clad said.

(Editing by Peter Cooney)

October 9, 2010