ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's government says it will place orders for two Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35A stealth fighters as well as 10 locally made survaillance drones.
The government said Thursday it will also start contract talks with Bell Helicopter Textron for the purchase of 15 helicopters for the country's police force.
The drones and aircraft are likely to be used by the country's security forces in their battle against autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels in Turkey's rugged southeast.
The announcement came after a key defense industry meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.