Free Republic

The Turkish army has begun using Israeli-made unmanned aircraft to monitor Kurdish rebel movements in neighbouring Iraq, the Anatolia news agency reported Monday, quoting the army chief. "In the past 10 days, we have started using our Heron systems... the surveillance systems we bought from Israel, in the north of Iraq," General Ilker Basbug said in Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, according to Anatolia. The drones are being used "at a certain distance in the north of Iraq in coordination with the Americans," Basbug told reporters, adding that the aircraft were operated "by our own personnel." There has been media speculation that...

From old to new. As the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recently announced, a joint programme with Turkey to refurbish ageing M60A1 main battle tanks has been completed this week. Within the framework of an agreement worth nearly $700 million and signed in March 2002, the programme has been carried out by the Turkish Defence Ministry and the Israeli companies, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems. Since the beginning of the programme, some 170 40-year old M60A1’s, which are part of a significant fleet of tanks of this type bought from US surplus, have received extensive upgrades to the Sabra...

London (KurdishMedia.com) 16 January 2007: The Turkish army have gathered and intensified its forces on the Kurdistan’s boarder ready for attack, reported local sources on Tuesday. While Turkey is holding a conference on Kirkuk without the participation of the Kurdistan Regional Government or any Kurdish political party, Turkey has intensified its forces on the Kurdistan’s border. Some Turkmens, Arabs and a high number of Turkish MP’s have participated in the conference. It was revealed by local sources that only Turkish flag displayed in the conference. Radio Nawa stated that the Turkish army ready for zero o’clock to attack Kurdistan. The...