Romanian-Turkish Joint Exercise 'Airborne Commando 2009' is conducted at Buzau in Romania and in Turkey, from October 5 to 11, bringing together a 30-troops platoon of the 60th Baneasa-Otopeni Paratroops Battalion and a 30-toops Turkish unit of the 1st Commando Brigade.

The goal of the exercise is to train the paratroopers of the two countries in the respective operating procedures, techniques and tactics as well as in increasing mutual trust and bilateral cooperation.

The Distinguished Visitors - Day organized in Buzau on Wednesday, October 7, was attended by Maj. Gen. Dan Ghica-Radu, chief of Land Forces Staff, Brig. Gen. Omer Faruk Kucuk, commander of the 1st Commando Brigade of
Kaisery, Turkey and Brig. Gen. Avram Catanici, deputy commander of the 1st Dacica Infantry Division.

Maj. Gen. Dan Ghica-Radu spoke of the importance of this exercise emphasizing that -such joint exercises with troops of the Turkish commando brigade are really important for our paratrooper units, as they are a useful experience exchange for our training and operational goals. They also give us all the opportunity to make the best of what we practised together when we operate in the theaters of operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina or elsewhere\".

Brig. Gen. Omer Faruk Kucuk, commander of the 1st Commando Brigade in his turn pointed out that - this exercise is useful for peace building and we are happy to participate in it alongside the Romanian Land Forces troops. We are satisfied and happy with the hospitality of the chief of Land Forces Staff. We are convinced such activities will go on as they come as a result of the close, high-level relation between the armed forces of Romania and Turkey.

Romania-Turkish paratrooper joint training exercises go back to 2005 and have become an important training tool for both parties. Former training exercises were conducted by units of the 495th Infantry battalion and the 498th Paratrooper Battalion.

MoND Press Office