Turkish Attache Outlines Modernization Plan.

The Turkish defense attache to the United States said that his country is committed to modernizing its armed forces, which already are among the largest within the European members of NATO.

Turkey currently spends 3.5 percent of its gross national product on defense, the attache, Air Force Brig. Gen. Ziya Guler, told a Washington, D.C., luncheon sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association. That's nearly as much as the United States, and much higher than most European countries.

Fueling the country's interest in defense matters is its strategic location. Turkey--a member of NATO since 1952--sits astride the Bosporus Strait, which separates Europe and Asia and connects the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Turkey's security concerns include touchy relations with its long-time rival, Greece. Seeking admission to the European Union, Turkey is trying to establish "a good neighboring relationship" with Greece, Guler said. But Turkey has other security interests, he noted. Among them: tensions with an unstable Iraq, domestic terrorism from groups such as the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a rise in Islamic fundamentalism, and conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Turkey is making a concentrated effort "to be a player in peace and stability in the region," Guler said. During the l990s, Turkey joined United Nations peacekeeping missions to Somalia and the Balkans. Ankara also has contributed observers to the troubled former Soviet republic of Georgia, he said.

To meet such commitments, Turkey spent $5.4 billion for defense in 2000, Guler said. Of that amount, $1 billion went to modernization efforts, such as upgrades in avionics and other electronic warfare systems for Turkey's fighter aircraft, he said. Guler is a fighter pilot with more than 2,700 flight hours in U.S.-designed F-5s, F-4s and F-16s.

Since 1987, the Turkish aerospace industry has manufactured its own version of the F-16, Guler noted. Currently, Turkey is working with the U.S. Air Force to upgrades its fleet of KC-135 tanker aircraft, he said.

Turkey also is negotiating with Bell Helicopter/Textron, of Dallas-Fort Worth, to convert its army Cobra tactical/attack helicopters to the AH-1Z variant, according to Army Col. Taner Duvenci, military attache. In addition, Guler said, Ankara would like to acquire new airborne early warning and control aircraft, potentially a $5 billion purchase, he estimated.

The Turkish army's largest acquisition project is a third-generation battle tank that is scheduled for production in 2004, said Duvenci. By 2014, Turkey plans to replace all of its U.S.-designed M60 ranks with 1,000 new versions.

This program will have a major impact on the Turkish economy, Duvenci said. A contractor has not yet been selected. It could end up being a joint Turkish industry venture with a U.S., German or even Israeli firm. Regardless of who the partner is, the tank replacement program will remain a domestic Turkish enterprise, said Duvenci.

Turkey plans to reduce its military workforce by increasing reliance upon automated intelligence and information systems, Duvenci explained. These systems include air-to-ground jamming devices, precision-guided munitions, stand-off platforms similar to the U.S. Air Force Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and an introduction of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes.

To fulfill growing requirements for 24-hour intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, it will be necessary for Turkish land, air and sea forces to share information obtained from ground radar systems, surveillance aircraft, submarines, and UAVs, said the naval attache, Capt. Serdar Akinsel.

While Turkey remains interested in acquiring a theater missile defense platform, a national missile defense system is quite simply beyond consideration, Guler said, because "Turkey cannot afford it."

The Turkish navy--which exerts influence into the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea--is adding eight new corvettes, with deliveries scheduled for 2005 to 2008, Akinsel said. These 1,200 to 1,500-ton warships are capable of reaching 27 knots, he said.