Chinese Su-27s Fly Mock Combat in Turkey

Given the long history of military relations between China and Turkey, this joint air exercise should come as no surprise. Case-in-point, Chinese missiles and rockets were on open display in Turkey's national day parade.

Chinese Su-27s Fly Mock Combat in Turkey
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Posted by David A. Fulghum at 9/30/2010 10:29 AM CDT

An unexpected military cooperative exercise between China and Turkey has caught the eye of Washington-based analysts.

The two air forces were involved in a joint air exercise in the central Anatolian province of Konya, the first such exercise involving the air forces of China (People’s Liberation Army Air Force – PLAAF) and NATO member Turkey.

Part of the significance is that the PLAAF recently demonstrated major advances in long-range strike during their own “Peace Mission 2010.”

The latest joint exercise, “Anatolian Eagle,” in the past has been conducted jointly with the U.S. Air Force, other NATO air forces and the Israeli Air Force.

Ankara’s Zama newspaper reported that Turkish F-16s and Chinese Su-27s staged a mock dogfight. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao plans a visit to Turkey next month where several agreements on economic and cultural cooperation are expected to be signed. Chinese aircraft, including the JF-17 export fighter, stopped in Turkey to refuel on the way to last summer’s Farnborough air show.

Turkey flies 200 F-16s, 150 RF/F-4s and 75 F-5s.

Another sign that Turkey is changing its international stance is modification of its security policy to remove some of its neighboring countries from a list of those considered as national security threats and the exclusion of the IAF from its exercises.


My previous blog entry:

Monday, September 07, 2009

Chinese Missiles on display during Turkey's Victory Day Parade.

Despite the recent Sino-Turkey political fallout concerning the unrest in Xinjiang, imported Chinese missiles were prominently featured in this year's victory day parade. At the same time, Turkey also hosted the "Friends of Democratic Pakistan" meeting in which the Chinese government was invited. (here) There is something to be said about the civil-military relationship in many different countries -- sometimes they are clearly NOT on the same page. However, no one in the PRC is under the illusion that Turkey can continue its close military ties with China (overtly) if the Turkish public continues to press the Uyghur issue.

Sino-Turkey relations in regards to the Uyghur communities in Xinjiang is complex; for a good backgrounder, see Yitzhak Shichor's “Ethno-Diplomacy: The Uyghur Hitch in Sino-Turkish Relations” (Here)

Turkey marks Victory Day with military parades
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2009/08/31/nb-09

31/08/2009

ANKARA, Turkey -- The country celebrated Victory Day with military parades in Ankara and other big cities Sunday (August 30th). The largest parade was in Ankara, where about 8,000 military officers marched past President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, General Staff chief Ilker Basbug and other senior officials. Warplanes flew overhead, while dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles rumbled past. Victory Day celebrates the Turkish army's win, under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in the 1919-1922 Greek-Turkish war. The day also honours Turkish armed forces. (AFP, Anadolu news agency - 30/08/09)

WS-2 Long Range MRL (400mm Range)


B-6111 Heavy Long Range Rocket