US to provide Turkey with attack helicopters

American ambassador says Washington to provide Turkish army with three SuperCobra attack helicopters to replace those destroyed in campaign against Kurdish rebels

Ynet|Published: 10.01.11 , 10:47

US Ambassador to Ankara Francis Ricciardone announced Friday that the US will provide Turkey with three new attack helicopters, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported.

According to the report, which quotes Turkey's TGRT news network, Ankara asked Washington for SuperCobra attack helicopters to replace those it lost in the campaign against Kurdish rebels.

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On Friday, one person was killed and two others were injured in an explosion in the city of Antalya. Earlier, it was reported that two soldiers were killed and three others were wounded in southeast Turkey after Kurdish rebels ambushed a military force.

Consequently, 26 people were arrested in Istanbul and Bitlis on suspicion of being involved in terrorist activity. The detainees included officials in the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party. Turkey's agriculture minister condemned the attacks.

Also Friday, a crew onboard a Turkish exploration ship searching for gas reservoirs near Cyprus claimed that two Israeli aircraft and a helicopter circled above them on Thursday night,

According to a report published in the Turkish newspaper Watan Daily, two F-15 jets passed through Cyprus' Greek and Turkish airspace and approached the Turkish coastline, while ignoring air controllers' warnings in north Cyprus, which is considered a Turkish territory.