The News

The News - Exercise Together, China and Turkey, WASHINGTON - China and the Turkish Air Force has conducted joint exercises, in activities that would seem to be the first exercise involving Beijing and a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Turkey has given guarantee to the United States that the country would "fully careful" to protect U.S. technology and NATO are sensitive, said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tamara Parker, a spokesman for the U.S. Defense Department said Friday. He depicts, the Turkish government is committed to the NATO alliance and the sustainability of a strong relationship with the United States. "As far as our knowledge is certain, the F-16 fighter planes made by U.S. is not involved in training," said Parker.

According to Turkish press reports, the exercise took place on 20 September to 4 October at the air base at Konya in Anatolia region of Turkey middle.

Some U.S. experts described the exercise as an attempt to emphasize the ability of China to operate melewasti territory. David Finkelstein, director of China Studies at the CNA research group in Alexandria, Virginia, says, probably will be the first time the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLA) of China engaged in joint training with a NATO country. "Indeed, the new PLA expedition started being made," said Finkelstein.

Another Pentagon official, who asked not to be named, said there are indications that the Turkish air force has flown fighter planes F-4 Phantom, used extensively during the Vietnam War, while flying the SU-27 China-made Russia.

China-Turkish maneuvers took place before the visit of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to Turkey this weekend. Turkey and China aims to triple two-way trade to be worth 50 billion dollars a year in 2015 based on a new strategic partnership, said Wen at a press conference in Ankara on Friday, with Prime accept Turkey Tayyip Erdogan.