BERN ASKS ANKARA TO PLAY FAIR IN AIRCRAFT DEAL

Swissinfo, Switzerland
April 19 2006

The PC-21 is the latest in a long line of Pilatus training aircraft
(Keystone)

The Swiss foreign ministry has intervened with Turkey over a boycott
of trainer aircraft from the Pilatus company of Stans in central
Switzerland.

The move follows a decision by Ankara barring Pilatus from putting
in a bid to supply the PC-21 turbo trainer to the Turkish Air Force.

A Pilatus spokesman confirmed to swissinfo earlier this month that
the Turkish authorities had forbidden the company from tendering for
a contract.

“The foreign ministry is informed about this matter. We have addressed
the Pilatus case at the diplomatic level both in Bern and Turkey,”
ministry spokeswoman Carine Carey told swissinfo.

She added that the ministry would follow the matter closely.

Economics Minister Joseph Deiss has offered to try to find a solution
to the problem during a visit to Turkey, which has long been on
the cards.

However, the two countries have still not agreed on a date after a
planned visit last September was postponed.

Boycott

News of the boycott came in a letter sent to Pilatus from the Turkish
defence ministry.

The Turkish Daily News reported a week ago that Pilatus had been
excluded from bidding for the $500 million (SFr634.4 million) contract
because of a diplomatic row between the two countries.

It quoted a defence official as saying he did not think Swiss
contenders would be reliable partners in defence contracts.

Bilateral relations have been strained, particularly since 2003
when the Swiss House of Representatives recognised the “genocide”
of Armenians at the time of the First World War.

However, the Swiss government does not officially speak of “genocide”
but of “mass deportation” and “massacre”.

Highly qualified

The chief executive of Pilatus, Oscar Schwenk, told the Tages-Anzeiger
it was the first time in the company’s history that the company was
not allowed to bid for a deal for which it was highly qualified.

The company has been talking to Turkish authorities and companies
for four years about the supply of aircraft.

In the meantime, Turkey has been in contact with other companies,
including Embraer of Brazil, South Korea’s Aerospace Industries and
Raytheon of the United States.

“As an enterprise we can do nothing; only Bern can unblock the issue,”
Schwenk commented.

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