Meanwhile In Turkey

[TTK Ciar]

JasonJ - thank you for the rundown :-) you describe a lot which Defense Industry Daily never mentioned. I really need to find better news sources for defense transactions.

[WRW]

Turkey is as lovely as ever although much more expensive for Lira earning people.

 

Not so many people in the restaurants in our area

[JasonJ]

JasonJ - thank you for the rundown :-) you describe a lot which Defense Industry Daily never mentioned. I really need to find better news sources for defense transactions.

 

Heh, your welcome.

 

I forgot one item. Japan is giving the Philippines spare UH-1 parts in two batches. The first batch was already delivered early this year and the second batch of parts to be delivered in August IIRC. It'll enable Philippine's small fleet of UH-1s to be able to fly again, hopefully.

Edited July 24, 2019 by JasonJ

[Dark_Falcon]

 

JasonJ - thank you for the rundown :-) you describe a lot which Defense Industry Daily never mentioned. I really need to find better news sources for defense transactions.

 

Heh, your welcome.

 

I forgot one item. Japan is giving the Philippines spare UH-1 parts in two batches. The first batch was already delivered early this year and the second batch of parts to be delivered in August IIRC. It'll enable Philippine's small fleet of UH-1s to be able to fly again, hopefully.

 

 

At least until the UH-60 Blackhawks the Philippines has on order from the US arrive. Once the Blackhawks arrive they are to replace the older Hueys in service. Relevant to this thread is that the Blackhawks are part of an overall package that includes gunship helos from Turkey. Which is likely part of why the US has not sanctioned Turkey over the S-400: We don't want to wreck an important export deal.

[Yama]

I wonder, is anyone not a member of the coup?

 

https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/turkish-police-arrest-20-air-force-officers-over-feto-links-3495875

No. And if you ask questions like that, YOU might find yourself as a part of the coup attempt.

[JasonJ]

 

 

JasonJ - thank you for the rundown :-) you describe a lot which Defense Industry Daily never mentioned. I really need to find better news sources for defense transactions.

 

Heh, your welcome.

 

I forgot one item. Japan is giving the Philippines spare UH-1 parts in two batches. The first batch was already delivered early this year and the second batch of parts to be delivered in August IIRC. It'll enable Philippine's small fleet of UH-1s to be able to fly again, hopefully.

At least until the UH-60 Blackhawks the Philippines has on order from the US arrive. Once the Blackhawks arrive they are to replace the older Hueys in service. Relevant to this thread is that the Blackhawks are part of an overall package that includes gunship helos from Turkey. Which is likely part of why the US has not sanctioned Turkey over the S-400: We don't want to wreck an important export deal.

Blackhawks are good but its still only 16. Keeping the UH-1s going would make sense.

[Colin]

Thanks to our Canadian numb nuts for cancelling a helicopter deal. Something about Liberals and helicopters in this country.

[Nobu]

Which is likely part of why the US has not sanctioned Turkey over the S-400: We don't want to wreck an important export deal.

 

I don't see Trump doubling down on the F-35 cancellation with heavy sanctions on Ankara, if only to alleviate the domestic economic impact of lost sales.

[Dark_Falcon]

 

 

 

JasonJ - thank you for the rundown :-) you describe a lot which Defense Industry Daily never mentioned. I really need to find better news sources for defense transactions.

Heh, your welcome.

 

I forgot one item. Japan is giving the Philippines spare UH-1 parts in two batches. The first batch was already delivered early this year and the second batch of parts to be delivered in August IIRC. It'll enable Philippine's small fleet of UH-1s to be able to fly again, hopefully.

At least until the UH-60 Blackhawks the Philippines has on order from the US arrive. Once the Blackhawks arrive they are to replace the older Hueys in service. Relevant to this thread is that the Blackhawks are part of an overall package that includes gunship helos from Turkey. Which is likely part of why the US has not sanctioned Turkey over the S-400: We don't want to wreck an important export deal.

Blackhawks are good but its still only 16. Keeping the UH-1s going would make sense.

 

 

They may do that, but if so the Hueys will be moved to secondary, safer duties.

[glenn239]

Thanks to our Canadian numb nuts for cancelling a helicopter deal. Something about Liberals and helicopters in this country.

 

The Liberals tend to cancel Conservative defense contracts and vice versa. They don't seem to care whether the armed forces need the equipment or not when doing so.

[Dark_Falcon]

This may or may not be a bluff:

 

 

Turkey will carry out operation in northern Syria: Erdogan

 

 

(Reuters) - Turkey will carry out an operation east of the Euphrates river in northern Syria, in an area controlled by the Kurdish YPG militia, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

 

Turkey has been running out of patience with the United States, which made an agreement with Ankara to implement a safe zone in northeastern Syria. Erdogan said both Russia and the United States have been told of the operation.

 

Following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement last year of a planned U.S. withdrawal from northern Syria, the two NATO allies agreed to create a safe zone inside Syria along its northeastern border with Turkey, that would be cleared of the YPG militia.

 

The YPG was Washington's main ally on the ground in Syria during the battle against Islamic State, but Turkey sees it as a terrorist organization.

 

Ankara says that the United States has stalled progress on setting up the safe zone and has demanded that Washington sever its relations with the YPG.

 

The operation, which would mark the third Turkish incursion into Syria in as many years, was first signaled by Erdogan earlier this year but later put on hold.

 

"We entered Afrin, Jarablus, and Al-Bab. Now we will enter the east of the Euphrates," Erdogan said on Sunday during a motorway-opening ceremony. "We shared this with Russia and the United States."

[Josh]

Hopefully not. He's been saying something along these lines constantly to apply pressure to the US, so it is hard to tell when he's actually serious. I actually doubt the US has the will to engage the TSK on behalf of the Turks, however should US troops themselves be injured or even just surrounded, I've no doubt a lot of air support will be applied and I've no doubt the USAF will return fire if someone tries to stop them. Interesting times.

[Roman Alymov]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=46uAzyYAHd4

[glenn239]

Hopefully not. He's been saying something along these lines constantly to apply pressure to the US, so it is hard to tell when he's actually serious. I actually doubt the US has the will to engage the TSK on behalf of the Turks, however should US troops themselves be injured or even just surrounded, I've no doubt a lot of air support will be applied and I've no doubt the USAF will return fire if someone tries to stop them. Interesting times.

 

If Iran and the US go to war it is possible this will allow Turkish operations in Northern Iraq against the Kurds.

[Roman Alymov]

[Mistral]

First time I saw an AT4 being used by the Kurds

 

https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1174232336826798082/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Eprofile%3Ae_amyna&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fe-amyna.com%2F

[Roman Alymov]

Erdogan with group of Russian Parliament members including Natalya Poklonskaya

[Nobu]

The Sultan is pleased.

[Leo Niehorster]

Erdogan with group of Russian Parliament members including Natalya Poklonskaya

Her eyes are up there. 😁

[BansheeOne]

Because one quagmire is never enough:

 

After Syria, Turkey Seeks to Partner With Russia in Libya

Ankara, which supports U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, is wary of slipping into proxy war with Moscow

By David Gauthier-Villars

Dec. 21, 2019 9:02 am ET

 

ISTANBUL—Weeks after forming a military partnership with Russia to share control of a land strip in northern Syria, Turkey is trying to convince the Kremlin to cooperate in another volatile country torn by civil war: Libya.

 

Turkish authorities have approached Russia to explore ways to avoid a potential clash in the North African country, according to people familiar with the matter.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to discuss the Libyan proposals with Vladimir Putin when he hosts his Russian counterpart in Turkey on Jan. 8, the people said.

 

Both Turkey and Russia regard the oil-rich country as strategically important to projecting their influences. Since April, Turkey has been firmly on the side of Libya’s United Nations-backed government and has offered to provide Tripoli with further military assistance to help contain the advance of a powerful militia commander.

 

But Turkish authorities have grown wary of slipping into a proxy war with Russia, according to the people familiar with the matter, because Moscow, while recognizing the Tripoli government, has lent support to the rival commander, Khalifa Haftar.

 

Those concerns were exacerbated last month, the people said, after battleground reports showed that the recent intervention of a Russian armed group with ties to the Kremlin on Gen. Haftar’s side had tipped the scales in his favor.

 

Turkish authorities would like to establish some form of coordination with Russia to ensure the safety of their respective citizens in Libya, the people familiar with the matter said, and possibly convince Moscow to withdraw the Russian mercenaries.

 

“We are talking to Russia to avoid a confrontation,” one of the people said.

 

Russia denies that Russian mercenaries are fighting in Libya, where chaos has prevailed since civil war broke in 2011 and longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown and killed.

 

Officials in Moscow couldn’t be reached Saturday for comment.

 

At his annual press conference on Thursday, Mr. Putin said Russia “maintains contacts with both the Tripoli government and Gen. Haftar.” He added that Moscow has “constant dialogue with our partners, including those in Turkey, Europe and other countries.”

 

The Trump administration’s stance on the war has been ambiguous. It has backed the Government of National Accord, or GNA, formed in late 2015 as part of a U.N.-brokered agreement, and voiced support for Gen. Haftar’s vision of imposing stability in Libya through force.

 

France, Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, have backed the general, saying he is a bulwark against Islamist groups.

 

Russia could be tempted by the prospect of coordinating with North Atlantic Treaty Organization member Turkey in Libya to further lure the alliance’s second-largest military into its orbit, analysts said.

 

[...]

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-syria-turkey-seeks-to-partner-with-russia-in-libya-11576936920

 

December 21, 2019 / 3:28 PM / Updated 19 hours ago

Turkey's parliament ratifies security accord with Libya: report

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey’s parliament approved on Saturday a security and military cooperation deal signed with Libya’s internationally recognised government last month, state media reported, an agreement that could pave the way for military help from Ankara.

Turkey has been backing the Libyan government led by Fayez al-Serraj as it fights off a months-long offensive by Khalifa Haftar’s forces based in the east of the country.

 

Ankara has already sent military supplies to Libya in violation of a United Nations arms embargo, according to a report by U.N. experts seen by Reuters last month.

 

The two sides signed the deal in November to boost military cooperation along with a separate accord on maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean that has enraged Greece.

 

The state-run Anadolu news agency said on Saturday that Turkey’s parliament voted 269-125 in favour of the security accord after Serraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) ratified it on Thursday.

 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey could deploy troops to Libya in support of the GNA but no request has yet been made. He said on Friday that Turkey could not remain silent over Russian-backed mercenaries backing Haftar’s forces.

 

Russia said it was very concerned about the possibility of Turkey deploying troops in Libya and that the security deal raised many questions for Moscow.

 

Erdogan will discuss Ankara’s potential troop deployment to Libya with Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks in Turkey next month, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

 

Speaking on Saturday, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said the accords with Libya were historic for Turkey and added Ankara was ready to evaluate possible troop deployment.

 

Ankara and Tripoli have also ratified the accord on maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, a move which prompted Greece to expel the Libyan ambassador to Athens and escalated tensions in the region. Ankara and Athens have been at odds over resources off the coast of the divided island of Cyprus.

 

Greece says the deal violates international law, but Turkey has rejected the accusations, saying the accord aims to protect its rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Erdogan has said the deal will allow Turkey and Libya to carry out joint exploration operations in the region.

 

A senior U.S. State Department official on Saturday described the maritime agreement between Ankara and Tripoli as “unhelpful” and “provocative”.

 

“Now with the maritime boundaries, you’re drawing in Greece and Cyprus... From the United States’ perspective, this is a concern,” the official said. “It’s not the time to be provoking more instability in the Mediterranean.”

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-libya-military/turkeys-parliament-ratifies-security-accord-with-libya-report-idUSKBN1YP0DA

[BansheeOne]

Turkish MPs pass bill to send troops to support Libyan government

 

Move meant as deterrent to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar raises fears of escalation in violence

 

Peter Beaumont and agencies

 

Thu 2 Jan 2020 10.39 EST

 

Turkey's parliament has approved by a large majority a bill that allows troops to be deployed to Libya in support of the Tripoli-based government in the country's worsening civil war.

 

The vote, taken during a special sitting, comes amid fears that the threat of Turkish intervention, in addition to that by other regional competitors, could escalate violence in Libya. MPs voted 325-184 in favour of allowing the deployment.

 

The move, which is being seen as largely symbolic in the first instance, is aimed at putting pressure on rival eastern forces in Libya led by General Khalifa Haftar who have been challenging Fayez al-Sarraj's internationally-recognised Government of National Accord.

 

It marks, however, the emergence of a new potential front for confrontation in a region where Turkey is flexing its diplomatic and military muscle against rivals including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, coming on top of Turkey's current intervention in the Syrian conflict.

 

The Turkish decision was quickly criticised by Egypt, one of the key backers of Haftar's forces, which said in a statement that it strongly condemned the plan.

 

Egypt said any such deployment could negatively affect the stability of the Mediterranean region and called on the international community to urgently respond.

 

A UN report late last year named Jordan and the UAE as regularly supplying Haftar's forces, in breach of an arms embargo, while Turkey supports the UN backed government. Turkey has also accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to back Haftar's forces.

 

[...]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/02/turkish-parliament-to-vote-on-sending-troops-to-libya

Edited January 2, 2020 by BansheeOne