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Author: Andranik Taslakhchian

Turkish press: Baykar ensures Turkey’s self-reliance in drone tech as orders swell

Andranik Taslakhchian
 ISTANBUL FEB 21, 2022 – 3:14 PM GMT+3 
EDITED BY AYŞE BETÜL BAL

Ukrainian Army-owned Bayraktar TB2 UCAV on display during the military parade on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence, Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug. 24, 2021. (Shutterstock Photo)

Turkey has completely left behind its external dependency on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) technologies and now produces platforms that are among the best in the world, the chief technology officer (CTO) of the drone magnate Baykar said in a recent interview.

Selçuk Bayraktar, in an interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera television, commented on Turkey's domestic technology, the country's development story of UAVs and its role in the new generation of UAVs.

Bayraktar, who stated that they took the first step with a small project to produce aircraft that can fly automatically, said that they first started the construction of UAVs in a small workshop.

He recalled that the first aircraft they produced were small planes that could stay in the air for one hour and fly a distance of just 15 kilometers (9.3 miles).

Stating that they started the now world-renowned Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) project in 2010, Bayraktar said that this particular drone joined the Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) inventory in 2014 as a result of the work of the Undersecretariat of Defense Industry, which has now become the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).

"The TB2s were successful in the fight against terrorism (within Turkey) and counterterrorism operations outside of Turkey," Bayraktar said.

The combat drones were used against the PKK terrorist threat within and outside Turkish borders, as well as against Daesh terrorists in Syria.

Another UCAV project by the Baykar company, Akıncı, Turkey’s most advanced drone to date, started in 2016, Bayraktar went on to say. This model is much larger than the world-renowned Bayraktar TB2s.

Akıncı UCAVs have very high power, allowing them to fulfill strategic missions, carry cruise missiles and engage in aerial combat while being operated via satellite, the company's CTO said.

Commenting further on how the country started its journey to produce UCAVs with domestic resources, Bayraktar said the country used to buy UAVs from Israel, "but planes from abroad could not take off and land automatically, and Israeli pilots used to lift and land the drones with a manual control device."

Bayraktar said that starting with smaller-volume UAVs, Turkey developed the software within the country that allowed automatic landing and takeoff of planes.

Stating that the TB2 is the most famous UAV model in the world and have been sold to 16 countries, Bayraktar said, "TB2s can stay in the air for 27 hours, have a range of hundreds of kilometers, can carry 130 kilograms (287 pounds) and are equipped with highly sensitive intelligent military equipment."

Referring to the other features of Turkish UAVs, Bayraktar stated that they are difficult to detect via radar and that they have achieved great success against tanks and defense systems, for example in Syria's Idlib and Azerbaijan's Karabakh region.

In massive retaliatory strikes and artillery shelling in Idlib during a regime attack in February 2020 that killed 33 Turkish soldiers and injured tens of others in the area, Turkey used its domestic UAVs to strike everything from tanks to howitzers and Russian-made air defense systems.

At least 2,200 Syrian regime troops, a drone, eight helicopters, 103 tanks, tens of howitzers and three air defense systems were neutralized, according to the Defense Ministry statements at the time.

Domestic drones provided surveillance and Close Air Support (CAS), and destroyed the regime targets with locally produced smart ammunition either being delivered by the drones or from afar with their guidance due to Syrian air space’s being close to Turkish F-16s.

Later, the Bayraktar TB2s were used by Azerbaijan’s army in their fight to retake occupied Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian forces, again leaving no room for heavy military gear, including tanks, howitzers and Russian air defense systems to escape.

The drones were hailed as giving Baku the upper hand in liberating its lands.

Bayraktar further said on "the secret of the transformation of Turkey's defense industry in the last 20 years" that it is the "dedication to work and willingness to get rid of foreign dependency."

Underlining that the country was dependent on foreign suppliers for 85% of supplies for the defense industry in the past, Bayraktar stated that Turkey has now become self-sufficient.

All business designs and main components were developed in the country, Bayraktar emphasized, reiterating that Turkey no longer has foreign dependency on securing materials or main components for defense industry products.

Bayraktar pointed out that the world drone industry was previously dominated by the United States, China and Israel, but Turkey is in the top three now.

"Europe does not have platforms comparable to Turkey, currently Turkish UCAVs are being exported to European countries," he also said.

Export contracts were signed with 16 countries for Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, while it has already been incorporated into the arsenals of Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Qatar.

Among the European Union member countries that are interested in Turkish combat drones, Poland has already signed a contract for the purchase of Bayraktar TB2s, becoming the first NATO member country to acquire the Turkish drones. First shipments will arrive in 2022.

Latvia later hinted that it could be the second EU and NATO member state to purchase the Turkish UCAVs that have scored high-profile successes in the field.

Concrete for Armenian American Museum Poured During Special Ceremony

Andranik Taslakhchian
 by Contributor

 

 February 22, 2022

 

in Community, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories
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The Armenian American Museum construction site where the Concrete Pouring Ceremony took place

GLENDALE—The Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California celebrated the first concrete pour of the historic project by hosting a Concrete Pouring Ceremony at the construction site of the landmark center at Glendale Central Park.

Executive Director Shant Sahakian officially kicked off the Concrete Pouring Ceremony by welcoming the Board of Trustees, Board of Governors, Construction Committee, and government officials to the construction site.

“Today, we are one step closer to the dream of the Armenian American Museum and we are all so privileged that the museum is going to be in the City of Glendale,” stated Glendale Mayor Paula Devine. Mayor Devine was joined by her colleagues on the Glendale City Council including Councilmember Ara Najarian, Councilmember Vrej Agajanian, Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian, and Councilmember Daniel Brotman as well as City Manager Roubik Golanian.

Executive Director Shant Sahakian Glendale Mayor Paula Devine

“The concrete pouring is a historic milestone that represents the foundation of the museum and a symbol of unity for the Armenian community here in Los Angeles and throughout the world,” stated Ambassador Armen Baibourtian, Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles.

“The Armenian American Museum will serve as a hub and stand forever as a center that celebrates the rich culture and history of the Armenian people and brings our diverse communities together,” stated Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian.

The historic milestone was commemorated with a prayer led by the Board of Trustees Co-Chairs including Archbishop Hovnan Derderian representing the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, Bishop Torkom Donoyan representing the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Rev. Hendrik Shanazarian representing the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, and Bishop Mikael Mouradian representing the Armenian Catholic Eparchy.

Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles Ambassador Armen Baibourtian Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian

Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian expressed appreciation to the many donors, supporters, community members, and government partners who have contributed to the project.

In his remarks, Karapetian reflected on the moment when the vision for the Museum project was first formally discussed during an early meeting of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee Western USA’s Landmark Subcommittee on January 13, 2014. He then announced that the Concrete Pouring Ceremony would conclude with the burial of a time capsule featuring the official minutes of that meeting to forever be part of the foundation of the cultural and educational center.

Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian Glendale City Council members at the Concrete Pouring Ceremony

The time capsule burial was led by Executive Vice Chairman Zaven Kazazian, Architect Aram Alajajian, and Construction Committee Member Hrair Balian who were part of the founding committee with Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian.

The Concrete Pouring Ceremony followed a series of construction site visits by Congressman Adam Schiff, Senator Anthony J. Portantino, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and the Glendale City Council to witness the progress on the project.

From left: Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Primate of the Western Diocese Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Bishop Mikael Mouradian, Rev. Hendrik Shanazarian A scene from the Concrete Pouring Ceremony

The Armenian American Museum will be hosting its Legacy Gala on Sunday, March 27 at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE. The event will pay tribute to the visionary benefactors and supporters who are building a legacy of education, preservation, and cultural enrichment for generations to come.

For more information, visit the website.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 24-02-22

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 17:51,

YEREVAN, 24 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 24 February, USD exchange rate up by 1.00 drams to 479.78 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 5.91 drams to 537.55 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.34 drams to 5.69 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 6.65 drams to 644.54 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 132.05 drams to 29380.54 drams. Silver price up by 2.24 drams to 371.83 drams. Platinum price up by 96.64 drams to 16828.98 drams.

Azerbaijani armed forces grossly violate UN requirements – Armenian Ombudsman tells Czech Ambassador

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 12:32, 14 February, 2022

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan met with Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Armenia Bedrich Kopecky, the Ombudsman’s Office said.

Arman Tatoyan presented the programs connected with the rights of children, women and persons with disabilities, refugees and asylum-seekers, the freedom of speech and the professional work of journalists.

Issues relating to human rights were discussed during the meeting.

In his remarks Ombudsman Tatoyan said that currently ensuring the link between security and human rights is one of the most important issues. He emphasized that the Azerbaijani armed forces are violating the rights of Armenia’s border residents on a daily basis, in gross violations of the UN requirements. Tatoyan said the Azerbaijani troops must be withdrawn in order to guarantee people’s normal life and stressed the need of creating a security zone.

The Ambassador thanked Arman Tatoyan for the work done during his tenure and for his important mission aimed at the protection of human rights.

Normalization process between Turkey and Armenia "is really encouraging", says US ambassador to Turkey

Andranik Taslakhchian
Feb 16 2022
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo.Turkey and the US "benefit from a close relationship," said the new US Ambassador to Ankara Jeffrey Flake, hailing the bilateral ties between the two  countries.

Turkey is a "consequential" country and has "a big role on the global  stage," Jeff Flake told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.

"It's an important ally for us," he stressed, further saying that the  security between Ankara and Washington has "strengthened."

Flake officially took over as the US ambassador in late January,  succeeding David Satterfield, who had served as Washington's envoy to  Turkey since June 2019.

With an emphasis on Turkey's position in NATO, he said it is "an  important member of NATO, has been for 70 years. And so we have a lot  of shared interests there."

Turkey has "the second largest F-16 fleet" and is "the third largest  contributor in terms of NATO missions," said Flake, who conveyed US  Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith's thanks to Turkey  for its role in the alliance.

On the Russia-Ukraine tensions, the US ambassador said, "Turkey has  been steadfast in its support of Ukrainian sovereignty" and Ankara  "shares our commitment to a diplomatic solution if we can have one.   They have supported that in a big way."

Flake further said that "with threats like we have right now in the  region in Ukraine, our relationship with Turkey is even more  important."

He also addressed the economic ties between Turkey and the US, which  he called "very important and increasingly important."

"Our trade relationship with Turkey is large and growing. We have  exchanges that are important. So there's so many things that are  vital and that we need to foster and improve on," Flake said.

"People tend to look at Turkey is just important in the security  realm, but it's extremely important in the economic space as well,"  the US ambassador said. "Last year we had about $28 billion in trade  that was a 28% increase over the year before."

He also said some $50 billion US investment in Turkey has created  about 100,000 jobs.

In 2021, Turkish exports to the US increased 45%, he said, hailing  Turkey for increasing its exports despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

With economic ties growing, Flake said, "we've set some ambitious  goals, the last administration of $100 billion in trade. That is an  ambitious goal, but when I meet with American businesses, and Turkish  businesses, they want to get there. And over time, I believe we can."

Drawing to education, Flake stated that Turkey is "a biggest  contributor of European students in the US, our 15th largest  contributor of students worldwide, and that's growing."

Some 170 Turkish students are studying in the US with the Fulbright  Scholar Program, he said, adding there are many other programs as  well.

"We love it when Turkish citizens come to the United States and  obviously Americans love to come here," he said.

On the Rome meeting last fall of Turkish and US presidents, Flake  said: "They established the strategic mechanism meant to encourage  high-level dialogue on areas that we work together on or perhaps we  don't exactly agree on, but high-level dialogue."

He also said "more high-level visits" are expected as the US is  looking "to make to take full advantage of this strategic mechanism."

Flake, who served in the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,  said: "We dealt with Turkey a lot.  Because Turkey is a principal  ally of ours, but also an important player on the world stage."

Flake said negotiations are on track regarding the sale and  modernization of F-16 fighter jets.

"In fact, there was a delegation here just this past week as the  delegation here in December as well to help prepare what's called  "LoR" or a request for additional F-16s and modernization of F-16,"  he said.

Meanwhile, the US diplomat said compensation for Turkiye's payment  for F-35s is "a very complicated process."

Lawyers and accountants are working on the issue, he added.

The US sees Turkiye's request for new F-16s "very positive," Flake  said, as it shows Turkiye's "commitment to NATO."

"We obviously know that it's extremely important to have  interoperability. So that's a positive request."

About Turkiye's role in Afghanistan, he said the US hopes Turkey  "will play a role in Afghanistan's future and in terms of securing  the airport, for example, to connect Afghanistan to the world that  will benefit the citizens of Afghanistan and all of us."

Flake also welcomed the normalization process between Turkey and  Armenia.

"That's great as well. We welcome that. We've been very happy to see  the meetings happening. One in Russia, another one in Vienna coming  up. But it is really encouraging, what is going on. I believe there  are flights now going from Istanbul to Yerevan. That's a great sign."  

AZERBAIJANI press: Baku urges int’l community to fight illegal Armenian fundraising

Andranik Taslakhchian
17 February 2022 12:28 (UTC+04:00)
837

By Vugar Khalilov

Baku has urged the international community to take legal action against the illegal fundraising by the Armenian diaspora aimed at undermining Azerbaijan's sovereignty.

“The [Azerbaijani] Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on all UN member states to take effective countermeasures in the framework of their international obligations in regards to organizations registered in their territories and engaged in such illegal activities against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan,” the ministry said in a statement on February 16.

 Azerbaijan's report on "Armenia's misuse of non-profit organizations and charities for corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing" has been released as an official document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council, the ministry said.

The report underlined that during and after the 44-day war in 2020, the Armenian government organized illegal fundraising campaigns through Armenian diaspora organizations operating in various countries under the guise of humanitarian aid and that the funds raised through these campaigns were used to finance terrorist activities against Azerbaijan's civilian population within its sovereign territories.

“The report, prepared on the basis of statements by Armenian government officials and data from Armenian public sources, states that during the Patriotic War alone, organizations of the Armenian diaspora living in 73 countries collected more than $170 million, of which $110 million were transferred to the state budget of Armenia to cover military expenses. This fact was reflected in the speech of the Prime Minister of Armenia on April 21, 2021 to the Armenian Parliament on the implementation of the state budget for 2020,” the ministry stressed.

It added that such fundraising campaigns are organized and managed by the “Hayastan All Armenian Fund” (representing the majority of the Armenian political leadership) and the fund continues these activities even after the November 10, 2020, trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declares that such activity, directed against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan and creating illegal financial flows to its territory, is a gross violation of the national legislation not only of Azerbaijan but also of those countries in which the relevant organizations of the Armenian diaspora are registered, as well as existing international obligations in the field of combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism,” the report emphasized.

It should be noted that the 44-day war in 2020 not only defeated the Armenian army, but also the Armenian diaspora.

The Armenian diaspora organizations, including the U.S. branch of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), ANCA, which raised millions of dollars to continue the conflict in the region and prepare provocations against Azerbaijan, have exhausted materially and morally.

Back in 2018, former US ambassador to Azerbaijan Mathew Bryza said that “ANCA does not want to see a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which would reduce the organization’s ability to raise money from donors”.

The Armenian army’s inability to resist during the war after so much help has disappointed those who donated to the diaspora.

Under the guise of pursuing the interests of the Armenian people, the diaspora effectively turns the Armenian people into its victims. From this standpoint, the support given to Armenia by the Armenian diaspora can also be seen as a myth.

It is noteworthy that the most toxic diaspora named ANCA has supported and promoted for decades Armenia’s war crimes, its occupation, and ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijan’s lands, advocating against peace in Karabakh.

Being far from reality, the lobbyist arm of the Dashnak radical and expansionist group and the Armenian diaspora’s hate club ANCA continues to make baseless land claims towards Turkey and Azerbaijan. The diaspora cares less about Armenians in Armenia, it focuses on hating Turkey and Azerbaijan. It is actively involved in the anti-Turkish and anti-Azerbaijani misinformation campaigns. 

ANCA unites the most radical nationalists building up hatred towards Azerbaijan and Turkey as a way to ensure political and financial support for themselves.

ARF, also known as Dashnaktsutyun (in short, Dashnak), is an Armenian ultranationalist left-wing party founded in 1890. Today the party operates in Armenia and in countries where the Armenian diaspora is present, including the United States.

As Ukraine boils, don’t forget the other big conflict in the region

Andranik Taslakhchian
Feb 17 2022
  • Armenia troops in Nagorno-Karabakh (Photo: nkrmil.am)

By DAVID AMIRYAN

YEREVAN/BERLIN, 17. FEB, 17:53

LISTEN TO ARTICLE

The 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) between Armenia and Azerbaijan that left thousands dead did not put an end to the longest conflict in region.

Active hostilities have largely stopped, given the presence of Russian peacekeepers in NK, following the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement brokered by Moscow.

  • Three meetings between Armenia's prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev (pictured), two mediated by the EU, have produced only modest results (Photo: Ilham-Aliyev)

However, the situation remains far from peaceful. We continue to witness numerous localized incidents, in addition to larger instances of armed clashes, such as the ones we saw on 16 November 2021 and 12 January 2022.

The 44-day war significantly altered the geopolitics of the South Caucasus.

First, Turkey's active role in the conflict and support it gave to Azerbaijan, including through recruiting Syrian mercenaries, significantly increased its influence in the region.

Second, the institutional framework for settling the NK conflict – the OSCE Minsk Group – has been undermined. Emboldened by his victory, Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev has been publicly stating that the conflict is over, refusing to engage further with the Minsk Group.

This begs the question what will happen to the Armenian population in NK once the Russian peacekeeping mission is over in less than four years. Given the brutalities documented during the war, the state-promoted Armenophobia in Azerbaijan as well as post-war incidents that target the Armenian population, there is a real threat of ethnic cleansing of Armenians in NK.

Another important consequence of the war is the change in the de-facto borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The contact line between the armed forces has become so close that in some locations they are a few hundred meters away from each other. This situation has had a major impact on the rights and livelihoods of local communities. In several instances, near-border residents were taken captive, their cultivated fields were set to fire, and their cattle were stolen.

The recent three meetings between Armenia's prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev, two of which were mediated by the EU, have produced only modest results.

One outcome of these meetings is that there is a direct line between the defense ministers of two countries for preventing border skirmishes.

The two countries also agreed to take steps towards unblocking railway connections. One of the most important issues remains the border demarcation. Russia has proposed creating a committee, which it would lead, however there is no progress in sight.

The explosive situation in Ukraine can potentially have devastating consequences for the Caucasus, including a new conflict. Despite personal friendship between presidents Vladimir Putin and Erdogan, Russia has been increasingly annoyed by Turkey due to its position on Crimea and for providing armed drones to Ukraine.

There have also been some recent tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia, particularly over Russia's peacekeeping mission in NK. Azerbaijan and Turkey will be tempted to resort to use of force again, especially as their earlier actions did not generate adequate condemnation.

In this context, a much more engaged EU is necessary, in particular around the following three areas.

First, it is critical to pressure Azerbaijan to move away from an aggressive militaristic approach and embrace negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group around the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

There should be an unambiguous message that the use of force is not an option and will be met with adequate consequences. The status quo has changed dramatically and the two sides can no longer be treated as equal sides to the conflict: Armenia is being subjected to aggression.

Second, the EU could push for and support a monitoring mission along the border. EU's civilian CSDP mission is a relevant instrument that the EU has used in similar contexts and can go a long way to stabilise the situation on the ground.

Such a mission could enable the creation of a demilitarised zone so that conducive environment is created for the border demarcation process. In parallel, the EU should push for a border delimitation and demarcation process as soon as possible, ideally under OSCE.

Last but not least, decisive measures should be taken for the return of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) still detained in Azerbaijan and raise the problem of state-promoted hate speech.

While there have been many statements calling for Azerbaijan to return POWs, Azerbaijan still holds dozens of them in violation of international humanitarian law.

Earlier this month, Azerbaijan announced plans to erase Armenian traces, such as old writings from churches, which was met with some outcry. The situation warrants more drastic measures, including application of targeted individual sanctions as well as aid conditionality, particularly in the face of the recently approved €2bn aid package by the EU.

The EU has the tools to change the situation – it now needs the will.

David Amiryan is the deputy director for programmes at Open Society Foundations-Armenia.

Armenian Ambassador presents copy of credentials to Russian deputy FM

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 15:57,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of Armenia to Russia Vagharshak Harutyunyan presented today the copy of his credentials to Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, the Armenian Embassy in Russia said.

Congratulating Mr. Harutyunyan on appointment, the Russian deputy FM wished him success and expressed hope for conducting joint productive work aimed at further strengthening the Armenian-Russian relations.

The mutual partnership between Armenia and Russia was also discussed at the meeting. The officials touched upon the cooperation between the two countries in military-political, economic and humanitarian areas.

Harutyunyan and Rudenko also exchanged ideas about the vital issues relating to strengthening peace and security in the South Caucasus.

Pfizer vaccine to be available in all vaccination sites in Armenia from Feb. 21

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 15:45,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 will be available in all vaccination sites of Armenia from Monday, February 21, the Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan told reporters.

She said people are free to choose Pfizer as both their first or second dose, as well as booster.

Avanesyan noted that there is no significant difference between the Pfizer vaccine and the other vaccines currently in use.

“The only difference is that it has been officially recognized as a vaccine for persons aged 12-18,” she added.

More than 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were imported to Armenia.

TUMO box opens in Javakhk

Andranik Taslakhchian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 17 2022
, 15:07

 

The first sessions have started at the TUMO box in the city of Akhlkalak in Georgia’s Armenian-populated Javakhk region․ Thanks to the cooperation between TUMO and the Javakhk branch of the Armenian Relief Society, more than 200 teenagers have already registered to attend the box and acquire skills in technology and design.

“Opening a TUMO Box in Akhalkalaki is very symbolic for us. As an international location that will serve hundreds of Armenian teenagers, this new box exemplifies our mission of reaching each and every Armenian community across borders,” TUMO CEO Marie Lou Papazian said.

The Akhlkalak box is the first step towards bringing TUMO’s tuition-free education program to teenagers in Javakhk with plans for possible expansion in the future.