The air forces of China and Turkey have carried out a joint exercise, the US Defense Department said on Friday, in what appeared to be the first such drill involving Beijing and a NATO member country.
Turkey assured the US it would take the “utmost care” to protect sensitive US and NATO technologies, said US army Lieutenant Colonel Tamara Parker, a department spokeswoman. She said Turkey’s government was committed to the NATO alliance and the continuation of strong ties to the US.
“To the best of our knowledge, US-made F-16s were not involved in the exercise,” Parker said.
Turkish press reports have said the exercises took place Sept. 20 through last Monday at the Konya air base in the Anatolia region. They came ahead of this week’s visit to Turkey by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶).
Some US experts said the exercise underscored China’s capability to operate beyond its territory.
David Finkelstein, director of China Studies at the CNA research group in Alexandria, Virginia, said it might be the first time the People’s Liberation Army air force engaged in a combined exercise with a NATO country in a NATO country.
“Indeed, an incipient expeditionary PLA is in the making,” Finkelstein said.
A Pentagon official, who asked not to be identified, said indications were that the Turkish air force flew F-4 Phantom fighters, used extensively by the US during the Vietnam War, while China flew Russian-built SU-27s.
Meanwhile, Uighur activists in Turkey demonstrated for a second day yesterday against Wen in Istanbul, where he was due to meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul and business leaders before leaving the country.
Riot police deployed to keep around 40 demonstrators away from Wen’s hotel and prevented smaller groups joining the protest against China’s treatment of the Uighur in Xinjiang. Protesters shouted “Wen assassin” and “Wen get out of Turkey,” and held up a banner that said: “Turkey, do not believe China’s lies.”
Wen had been confronted by about 100 Uighur demonstrators in Ankara on Friday, where he met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The two countries reached a raft of agreements on Friday and pledged to raise their trade to US$50 billion by 2015 from an expected US$17 billion this year.
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