17th High Ranking Turkey - U.S. Joint Defense Group Meeting Starts

ISTANBUL (A.A) - 16.04.2002 - The 17th High Ranking Turkey-U.S. Joint Defense Group meeting started on Tuesday under the co-chairmanship of Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Buyukanit and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy Jack D. Crouch.
A total of 52 high ranking officials including 24 U.S. officials attended the meeting which is close to the press.
The meeting which is held every year within the scope of Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement signed between Turkey and the U.S. in 1980, gives the opportunity to both sides to negotiate bilateral, multilateral, regional, security and defense issues.
A general session will be held and sub-working committees on political, military and defense cooperation will also hold sessions in the meeting in Istanbul.
Issues of international cooperation in fight with terrorism, efforts aiming to support stability in the Balkans, Mediterranean, Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East, Turkey-U.S. defense relations, educational cooperation, support to Turkish defense industry will be discussed in the meeting.
The meeting will end on Wednesday.