NEWS FROM TÜRKİYE

Reuters / BBC Monitoring - European plane manufacturer Airbus and Turkish company Tusas signed on Thursday a $500 million agreement for Tusas to produce parts for the A350, the companies stated. The A350XWB agreement is the first big civilian project TAI is contributing to with its own technological design. 400 people would be employed directly as a result of the accord, while 1,200 people would gain indirect employment. Speaking at the signing ceremony of TAI-Airbus A-350 Partnership Agreement at TAI facilities in Ankara, French minister for transportation Dominique Bussereaf welcomed TAI as a new member of Airbus family. German State Minister Guenter Gloser for European Affairs in his part said this step, made between Europe and Türkiye, showed the confidence in Turkish technology. He highlighted that TAI became a strategic partner for them with the agreement, and indicated that Germany was from now on willing to boost relations with Türkiye in aviation and space industry. Airbus President Tom Anders stressed that TAI had become a full partner of Airbus, and noted that TAI would be a partner in commercial area under this 500-million USD project. "This plane will start to fly in 2012" he added. Tusas Chief Executive Atalay Efeer said this would be the first big-scale aircraft production programme for Tusas in the civil aviation industry.