January 31, 2011
ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
The 100th anniversary of the Turkish Air Force will be marked with a series of activities throughout the year, including international conferences, exhibitions, training, exercises and artistic and cultural projects.
“Our aim in our 100th year is not simply to celebrate our age, but to generate trust and interest in the Turkish Air Force from citizens, especially the country’s youth,” the Turkish Air Force Command stated in a press release.
The year will be highlighted by various symposiums, conferences and meetings about Turkish, European and international air forces and space technology.
The European Air Chiefs Conference, which is organized in a different European country every year, will be held in Istanbul this year in June. Istanbul will also have the honor of hosting the Global Air Chiefs Conference, with approximately 90 different countries invited.
The celebrations kicked off Jan. 20-21 with concerts by the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. The yearlong celebrations will include photography and art exhibitions, various contests, a theater play, a movie, a 10-episode TV show, a documentary, books and a cartoon.
May 14 will mark the unveiling of the Turkish Air Force 100th Year Monument in Istanbul.
Established in 1911, the Turkish Air Force is one of the oldest aviation organizations in the world, and operates in the fields of security, natural disasters, forest fires, search and rescue and medical transportation.
Utilizing the latest weaponry and systems, the Turkish Air Force has the capability to reach anywhere in the world within 24 hours.
One of the leading air forces in the world, the Turkish Air Force has carried out peace operations from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Afghanistan, Cyprus to Kosovo, while lending a helping hand to allies such as Pakistan, Chile, Haiti, Congo and Mongolia.
The Turkish Air Force is recognized worldwide for its facility in Konya, which includes the “Anatolian Eagles Training Center,” where multi-aircraft war scenarios can be recreated, and the “Electronic Warfare Test and Training Range,” which was engineered by Turkey and is only available in select countries.
Many innovations are being brought to the century-old organization, with Turkey producing its own fighter aircraft and setting its sights beyond the sky and into space.
“The Turkish Air Force targets to be not only the world’s leading ‘air power,’ but rather the ‘air and space power,’” the press release from the Turkish Air Command stated, adding that a reconnaissance and surveillance project, early detection and communication satellites are all important steps toward this goal.
www.hurriyetdailynews.com, January 31, 2011
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