TURKEY PLOWS AHEAD WITH COPTER TENDER

ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey has decided to proceed with an attack helicoptertender boycotted by U.S. defense contractors. Turkey's Defense Industry Undersecretariat, known by its Turkish acronym SSM, plans to continue the competition for an estimated $2 billion attack helicopter project. Officials said both SSM as well as the military's General Staff intend to decide on a winner by August 2006.