LONDON - Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul signed a partnership agreement which makes Turkey biggest partner of the United States and Britain in hunter plane project called ''Joint Strike Fighter'' during an aviation fair in British town of Farnborough on Monday.
Gonul who proceeded from London to Farnborough early the same day toured stands of Turkish defense industry companies like TEI (TUSAS Engine Industry Corp), TAI (TUSAS Aerospace Industries Corp) and TUSAS (Turkish Aircraft Industry Corp).
Later Gonul attended signing ceremony for ''Joint Strike Fighter'' hunter project led by United States and Britain.
Gonul told reporters after the signing ceremony that the project was one of the biggest and most important projects in the Turkish defense history and the agreement was about engine design and production.
Noting that one of the two different engines of those hunters would be produced in Turkey, Gonul said that estimated cost of the project was 130 billion U.S. dollars but they supposed the 10-year project would cost nearly 200 billion U.S. dollars.
Stressing that those fighters would replace F-16s, Gonul said that European countries which were planning to develop ''Eurofighter'' did not join the project.
(MS-AÖ) 19.07.2004