TURKEY OPENS TALKS WITH FRENCH ON AIR CONTRACT

ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey has launched negotiations with a French defensecontractor over the installation of electronic subsystems in militarytransport aircraft. Turkey's Defense Ministry has decided to begin contract negotiationswith the Paris-based Thales on a maritime patrol aircraft mission equipmentproject. The ministry agreed last week to the installation of missionequipment in the nine CN-235 transport aircraft.