There have been increasing signals that Turkey might abandonits purchase of an additional 30 F-16 Block 50s, using as a pretext what itterms heavy conditions, including their sale via Foreign Military Sales (FMS)credit with no contribution to local Turkish industry as well as a ban onflights of the F-16 fighters in and around Cyprus.

In reality, Turkeymight now feel that it does not necessarily need additional F-16s, especiallyat a time when the country will be holding presidential as well as nationalelections this year.

There have been increasing signals that Turkey might abandon its purchase ofan additional 30 F-16 Block 50s, using as a pretext what it terms heavyconditions, including their sale via Foreign Military Sales (FMS) credit withno contribution to local Turkish industry as well as a ban on flights of theF-16 fighters in and around Cyprus.

In reality, Turkeymight now feel that it does not necessarily need additional F-16s, especiallyat a time when the country will be holding presidential as well as nationalelections this year. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) mightnot like to give the public the impression that it has been earmarkingresources for arms, say military analysts.

Buying additional F-16s is meant to bolster Turkey's existing F-16 fleet ofaround 213, which are undergoing modernization under a joint Turkish-USprogram.

Whatever reasons lie behind the possibility of not going through with thepurchase of the additional F-16s, the European Eurofighter consortiumdelegation did not waste any time in visiting Turkey to re-promote its Typhoonfighters.

Last week, the head of the promotion team for the Typhoons, Italian Alenia,was in Ankara to lobby for the sale of 30Typhoons to Ankara in the event Turkeyofficially cancels the purchase of the additional F-16s from US LockheedMartin. The four primary contractors in the Eurofighter consortium are BAESystems (UK), EADS (Germanyand Spain)and Alenia.

Though Turkey's civilianside did encourage the Eurofighter consortium to continue knocking on Turkey's doorfor the Typhoons, the military has never been enthusiastic about the idea ofbuying Typhoons on grounds that only the Typhoon 3s -- which are not even inproduction -- could meet Turkish needs.

Cypruscondition is not new but civilians object

The US has alreadyimposed a ban on flights of F-16s it has sold -- not only against Turkey but against Greeceas well -- in and around the disputed island of Cyprus.But both countries have reportedly been violating this clause.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), when it notified the USCongress in late September of last year of the Turkish decision to buyadditional F-16s, said, "This proposed sale will not adversely affect eitherthe military balance in the region or US efforts to encourage a negotiatedsettlement of the Cyprus questions."

The only difference in Turkey's case that played a role in the possiblecancellation of the F-16 purchase over a ban on Cyprus, among other things, hasbeen the fact that negotiations for the additional F-16s have now beenconducted by the Undersecretariat of the Defense Industry (SSM), the civilianprocurement agency, as opposed to negotiations conducted in the past by theMinistry of Defense.

"Turkish military personnel at the Defense Ministry accepted the US ban onF-16 flights in and around Cyprusin the past when buying the F-16s but violated this ban, as Greece did,"said a Turkish military official.

But the SSM, as a civilian procurement agency that has long been resistingUS restrictions on technology transfers, rejected the US ban on F-16 flights inthe eastern Mediterranean and a $70 millionprice difference, as well as the lack of a desired level of local industryparticipation in the program, said a well-informed Turkish industry source. TheSSM allegedly also complained about the US requirement for the payment ofapproximately 90 percent of the $1.8 million deal covering the purchase of the30 F-16s before delivery.

Murad Bayar, undersecretary of the SSM, reportedly told an audience thatgathered Turkish and US civilian and military and defense procurement officialsin Washington as part of the annual American-Turkish Council (ATC) meeting lastweek that the US should make a major overhaul of FMS conditions that do notallow, among other things, local industry participation and should relax restrictionson technology transfer and allow modifications to US-supplied weapons.

In response, the US sidesaid that FMS conditions and technology transfer as well as the ban on Cyprus flightsare issues that the US Congress decides and that it is out of the question thatCongress would take any steps to change those conditions.

Today's Zaman