Tag: unmanned drones

Turkey Is ‘Begging’ the U.S. for Drones

John Hudson 1,418 Views Jul 27, 2012

Turkey is employing a range of covert tactics to provide military assistance to Syrian rebels, but there’s one thing it would really like at its disposal: American drones. That’s one of the fascinating takeaways from a new Reuters exclusive about Turkey’s secret dealings in war-torn Syria.

“The Turks have been desperate to improve their weak surveillance, and have been begging Washington for drones and surveillance,” a sources tells Reuters’ Regan Doherty and Amena Bakr. “The pleas appear to have failed.”

It’s a request that poses quite the dilemma for U.S. officials. On the one hand, they’ve been supportive of efforts to undermine President Bashar al-Assad’s regime militarily. On the other hand, U.S. officials have been adamant about not wanting drone technology to get into the wrong hands. Regardless, sources tell Reuters that Turkey is now using “private guys” to do their surveillance work. The report says the country decided to step up its support for Syrian rebels after its plane was shot down by Syrian forces a few weeks ago. That includes building a “nerve center” of rebel support in the southern city of Adana where training and military aid is flowing to rebels courtesy Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. According to Reuters, the weaponry and training helps explain how a “rag-tag assortment of ill-armed and poorly organized groups, have pulled off major strikes such as the devastating bomb attack on July 18 which killed at least four key Assad aides including the defense minister.” At least for now, it appears they’ll have to do without U.S. drones.

via Turkey Is ‘Begging’ the U.S. for Drones – Global – The Atlantic Wire.

July 28, 2012
No Progress On Sale Of US Drones To Turkey

(RTTNews) – Talks between Turkish President Abdullah Gul and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago failed to make any progress on the sale of armed drones to Turkey.

Turkey seeks to buy armed drones from the United States, but the request has turned out to be controversial, with some in the U.S. Congress refusing to agree to a sale of the unmanned aircraft in the context of Ankara’s deteriorating relations with Israel, a close U.S. ally. The U.S. administration is reportedly willing to sell the drones to Turkey and is trying to persuade Congress not to block the sale, Turkish media reports said on Tuesday.

Gül reportedly told Obama during the meeting that Turkey expected the U.S. to meet its needs for fighting terrorism. But the two leaders could not make any progress on the sale of American drones to Turkey. Obama reportedly told Gül that he understood Turkey’s needs and the sale of the drones was in his administration’s agenda, but he made it clear that he could not strike a deal on the issue bypassing the Congress, the reports said.

Debate over the planned sale has heated up lately after a U.S. report claimed that American drones provided wrong information on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), resulting in the killing of 34 civilians in bombings by Turkish warplanes across the Turkish-Iraqi border after mistaking them for PKK rebels.

Gül told a group of journalists ahead of his talks that the proposed sale would come up at the meeting with Obama. He argued that “if the sale of reapers is sensitive,” that same should hold true for F-35 jet fighter, which are even “more dangerous.” The U.S. has agreed to share F-35 technology with Turkey, the reports said.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, and Turkish Ambassador to Washington Namik Tan were also present during the 30-minute talks.

Gül asked Obama to be on the front lines in the international community to help put an end to the 14 months of violence in Syria, and Obama assured Gül that the U.S. was doing what was necessary on the issue. He also said Foreign Ministers of both countries and relevant bodies were working together on the Syria crisis.

Syria is facing serious challenges because of an influx of refugees from neighboring Syria because of continued crackdowns by the Assad regime on anti-government protesters there. Turkey is now sheltering more than 25,000 Syrian refugees on its territory.

by RTT Staff Writer

via No Progress On Sale Of US Drones To Turkey.

May 23, 2012
Somali militants in key port ‘attacked by US drones’

US has been launching unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, in an escalating campaign against Islamist militants

The United States has launched a series of attacks by unmanned drones on the Somali Islamist group al-Shabab, local residents say.

At least three targets were hit around Kismayo, the southern port which is under the control of the militants.

One reconnaissance drone is reported to have crashed.

Meanwhile, there have been clashes between Somali government troops and the militants in the Gedo region, further north.

Residents of Kismayo say there were explosions around the city, with at least three targets being hit.

It is reported that al-Shabab are patrolling the streets, preventing locals from using the hospital, which is treating their wounded.

Kismayo is a key asset for the militants, allowing supplies to reach areas under their control and providing taxes for their operations.

In the Gedo region, there has been fighting around the town of Garbahare between al-Shabaab and government troops backed by local militia.

A local MP, Mahmood Sayid, told the BBC that 120,000 people had fled to the town to escape the famine, but that there was nothing to give them.

Deaths are being recorded every day, he said.

www.bbc.co.uk, 25 September 2011

September 26, 2011