Support From U.S. To Turkish Defense

WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (A.A) - The U.S. Eximbank credit, worth of 324 million U.S. dollars, will be used for the purchase of 14 Seahawk type military sea helicopters to meet the need of Turkish naval forces.
The decision pertaining to the re-activation of U.S. Eximbank credit and purchase of those helicopters produced by Sikorsky Aircraft company was given during Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to Washington D.C.
The U.S. Eximbank had opened 1.3 billion U.S. dollars credit aiming to expend support to the sale of 50 S-70 Black Hawk type military transport and general purpose helicopters. Turkish Armed Forces had decided to purchase 50 S-70 Black Hawk type helicopters three years ago.
Approximately one billion U.S. dollars part of the credit was used for the finance of Black Hawk helicopters, and the remaining 324 million U.S. dollars could not be evaluated at those times.
Later, efforts were exerted to search for facilities to use this remaing part of the credit for 14 Seahawk sea helicopters which the Turkish naval forces thought of purchasing from Sikorsky Aircraft company.
It was determined that the credit was still in the list of Eximbank, and Eximbank said it could provide this credit. The U.S. Defense Department Pentagon and State Department expended support to this.
Thus, the U.S. administration conveyed to the Turkish side that the Eximbank credit could be used in purchase of Seahawk helicopters.
This issue was included among the concrete results of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to the U.S.
Re-activation of Eximbank credit should be approved by the U.S. Congress in the coming months.