US makers can offer helicopters to Turkey
The Clinton Administration is to allow US helicopter makers to bid for a contract potentially worth $3 billion to supply attack helicopters to Turkey.
Approving the bids, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says: "We seek to support this important NATO ally's efforts to meet its legitimate self-defence requirements and to fulfil its NATO commitments."
Turkey requires 45 attack helicopters. Candidates include the Agusta A129 Mangusta, Bell AH-1W SuperCobra, Boeing AH-64 Apache, Eurocopter Tiger and the Mil Mi-28.
US Congress could still vote to reject the sale should a US company win, because of concerns over Turkey's human-rights record.
Source: Flight International
