Turkey held int'l military exercises near the border with Armenia
More than 2,000 Turkish soldiers, 13 helicopters, 4 fighter jets, 2 planes and 402 vehicles participated in Turkish military's Winter-2019 exercise in the eastern province of Kars close to the border with Armenia.
As local sources reported, some 251 personnel from "15 friendly and allied countries" took part in the drills, including army personnel from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler arrived in Kars on Thursday to observe the drills in person.
According to the Turkish military, aims of the exercise include ensuring cooperation and coordination in combined operation, testing combat capabilities of troops, enhancing synchronization of fire and maneuvering, training troops on key subjects such as deployment, quartering, food servicing, clothing, supply and maintenance activities and survivability.