Turkey receives final four U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters

Turkey receives final four U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters
Date: 1.8.2019 15:00

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) on Wednesday took delivery of four U.S. Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters at the port Turkey’s western province of İzmir, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey said.

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With the latest additions, Turkey now has received all 11 of its order of the heavy lift rotary wing aircraft, the embassy said on Twitter.
 
The delivery of the helicopters arrives amid Washington’s heightened concerns on selling high-end military technology to Turkey.
 
The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 joint strike fighter programme earlier this month after Ankara procured the Russian S-400 missile defence system.
 
Washington maintains that the S-400 poses a security threat to the F-35 fighter jets and has further threatened Ankara with economic sanctions.
 
With NATO ally Turkey in both camps, Moscow could obtain F-35 data to improve the accuracy of the S-400 against Western aircraft, according to U.S. officials.
 
President Donald Trump has downplayed Turkey’s purchase of the Russian missile system, saying he doesn’t blame Turkey as “problems that occurred during the Obama administration’’ led to the move.
 
Meanwhile, Turkish pilots who are in the United States for F-35 fighter programme training are returning to Turkey on Thursday. 
 
Turkish pilots and maintenance staff who were sent to the United States to train on the programme were notified that they would have to leave the country by the end of the month.
 
The TSK has completed all work necessary for their return.

YEREL HABERLER

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