Khaled Mashaal, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, has made a surprise appearance at an event of Turkey’s ruling party, endorsing the Turkish leaders and voicing his hope to “liberate Palestine and Jerusalem” together with them in the future.BY THE WAY, NATO -
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, whose hometown is Konya, personally presented Mashaal to the audience. “Konya, the city of heroes! You give birth to your leaders,” Mashaal said, congratulating the Turkish people “for having Davutoğlu and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.”
Mashaal’s brief speech was interrupted by slogans including “God is great” and “Down with Israel” several times by AKP supporters in the sports hall who waved Turkish and Palestinian flags.
After thanking the Turkish government for inviting him to party events in Istanbul, Ankara and Konya, Mashaal said that “A democratic, stable and developed Turkey is a source of power for all Muslims.”
"Inshallah we will liberate Palestine and Jerusalem again in the future," Mashaal added, noting that "all people of Konya had hit the streets" to protest Israel in the past.
Davutoğlu also touched upon the issue in his speech, praising the Konya locals who took to the streets in September 1980 to protest when Israel unilaterally declared Jerusalem as its capital.
Turkey Announces Purchase of 100 F-35s
Ankara announced it plans to purchase 100 F-35 joint strike fighters in a move that could erode Israel’s regional air superiority.
Pentagon picks Italy, Turkey for F-35 heavy maintenance hubs in Europe
The US Department of Defense has assigned maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) responsibilities for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter airframe and engine in Europe to Italy and Turkey, US officials said on 11 December.
- Italy will conduct heavy maintenance on F-35 airframes, while F135 engine heavy maintenance will be provided by Turkey
- Both facilities are expected to be operational by 2018
"These initial assignments will support near-term engine and airframe F-35 overseas operations and maintenance and will be reviewed and updated in approximately five years," said Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan, the Pentagon’s F-35 programme manager. Regional considerations such as forward basing, aircraft phasing, and transportation contributed to initial assignment decisions, he said during a press briefing.
F-35 initial airframe MRO capability will be provided by Italy by 2018, Lt Gen Bogdan said. Should additional airframe MRO capability be required, the United Kingdom would be assigned to supplement Italy’s work.
Engine heavy maintenance for the Pratt & Whitney (P&W) F135, meanwhile, will initially be provided by Turkey, with Norway and the Netherlands providing additional capability approximately two to three years after Turkey’s depot becomes operational in 2018. The general explained that engine test cells needed at such facilities cost “tens of millions of dollars” to build and that no single F-35 operator in Europe was prepared to bankroll a large enough facility to handle the work.