BERLIN, Oct 26 (AFP) - Turkish Airlines signed a 2.8-billion-dollar (2.22-billion-euro) contract with Airbus here to purchase 36 planes here on Tuesday to bolster its ageing fleet.
The state carrier's deal with the European aircraft maker was the centrepiece of a visit to the German capital by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who held talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and visiting French President Jacques Chirac.
Under the terms of the deal, Turkish Airlines will acquire five wide-bodied A330-200 planes with capacity for at least 250 passengers; 12 A321s, seating about 185; and 19 of the smaller, 150-seater A320s.
It comes less than a month after Turkish Airlines completed an order to buy 15 planes from Airbus's arch-rival Boeing, at a list price of 982.5 million dollars.
Turkish Airlines currently has 65 planes and the Turkish government wants to privatise the national carrier, under plans announced last year.
An earlier privatisation attempt was abandoned in 2001 due to a lack of investors.
The airline transported 10.4 million passengers to 103 destinations in 2003, making profits of 147 million dollars.
Airbus is held 80 percent by European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company and 20 percent by BAE Systems of Britain.
10/26/2004 17:55 GMT - AFP