|
US-Turkey radar contract worth $730
Million
10.12.2007
|
|
|
|
December
10, 2007
The United States Department of Defense has
announced that it is granting Northrop Grumman
Systems Corporation
a contract for $730,000,000
to supply as many as 514 AN/APG-68 (V) 9 radars,
which are used in advanced fighter jets.
The first 30 of the units are to be supplied to the
government of Turkey to "support foreign military
sales to Turkey."
Turkey is a long time ally of the United States, but
relations have been strained by the War in Iraq.
Turkey feels threatened by the Kurdish portion of
Iraq, in Kurdistan region in the north. It fears
that the war may allow Kurds to declare an
independent state, or that it will encourage Kurdish
populations in Turkey, Iran or other nearby
countries to rebel.
The Iraqi Kurds have proclaimed that they want to
exist in a semi-autonomous Kurdistan region within
Iraq, not as a separate country.
There is a Kurdish group called the Kurdistan
Workers Party, PKK, which is fighting for an
independent Kurdistan in just the areas claimed by
Turkey, as well as by areas controlled by Iraq,
Syria and Iran. Kurds live in all of those countries
but have been traditionally held down by those
societies. They are familiar with the ups and downs
of international politics.
Turkey has threatened to invade Kurdistan region
'the north of Iraq' to put down the Turkey's PKK
group, and there have been unconfirmed reports that
it is making strikes from time to time across the
border.
Iraqi Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using
Turkey's Kurdish separatist PKK rebel group as an
excuse to invade Kurdistan region 'Iraq' to prevent
the establishment of Kurdistan state in the Kurdish
autonomous region in 'northern Iraq',www.ekurd.net
Turkey fears this could
fan separatism among its own large Kurdish
population in southeast Turkey.
The United States has declared the PKK to be a
'terrorist' organization.
The transfer of the radar units to the Turkish
government is a sign of the United States' continued
support for Turkey in a stressful time.
The radar has a range of 184 miles and is the latest
update. It will give the Turkish planes an edge over
other air forces in the area.
Northrop Grumman reports that it has advanced ground
mapping capabilities, which would mean that in
conjunction with other technologies, it could be
part of an all weather air to ground strike
capability. It improves earlier versions by 33
percent in terms of range.
Such upgrades could improve the Turkish ability to
counter PKK bases on the ground, or to pinpoint PKK
troop movements.
It is relatively easy to install into existing
fighters, and a special kit is provided for F-16
upgrades.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. is located in
Linthicum Heights, Md., and is one of the world's
largest defense contractors. It operates in various
areas, including information services, electronics,
aerospace and shipping.
Since 1984the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds'
identity in its constitution and of their language
as a native language along with Turkish in the
country's Kurdish areas,www.ekurd.net
the party also demanded
an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, granting them full
political freedoms. The (PKK) KONGRA-GEL
released an
official declaration
reiterating their desire for negotiations with the
Turkish government.
associatedcontent com
**
Kurds are not recognized as an official minority in
Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan" Southeast
Turkey.
Others estimate over 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
Turkey is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds,
large Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK for a
Kurdish homeland in the country's mainly Kurdish
southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media.
The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish
alphabet has led to judicial persecution in 2000 and
2003
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan
but unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag
is banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it
is a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey)
wikipedia
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 