Turkey Hires Washington Lobbyist to Help Clear Helicopter Sale to Pakistan

Turkey has hired a Washington law firm to lobby with the US administration for securing an export licence which will help complete a $1.5 billion sale of ATAK helicopters to Pakistan.

“Concerned by the continued delay of the sale to Pakistan, previously unreported filings required by the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act show that Turkish Aerospace Industries-TAI (which manufactures the ATAK helicopter) hired US law firms, Greenberg Traurig LLP and its lobbying sub-contractor Capital Counsel LLC, to lobby the relevant congressional leaders and the White House to secure the requisite export licences,” Turkish media ahvalnews reported today.

The ATAK T-129 helicopter is powered by two T800-4A engines manufactured by LHTEC, a joint venture between the American firm Honeywell and the British company Rolls-Royce. The US is reportedly holding up export clearance for the LHTEC engine.

Following delay in delivering 30 ATAK helicopters, Ismail Demir, Undersecretary for Defence Industry of Turkey had stated on  January 6, 2020, “Pakistan has agreed to give us another year (to deliver the helicopters). We hope we will be able to develop our indigenous engine soon to power the T129. After one year, Pakistan may be satisfied with the level of progress in our engine program, or the US may grant us the export license.”

In June this year, TAI revealed the prototype of a locally-made engine for the ATAK T-129 helicopter. The hiring of lobbyists is indicative that the new engine may not make it to Pakistan’s 1 year deadline which is only 5 months away.

In 2018, TAI signed a $1.5 billion agreement to sell a batch of 30 T129 choppers which is billed as Turkey’s single biggest arms export deal. Pakistan has kept an option of buying the Chinese Z-10 helo  should the Turkish deal not materialize.

According to  contract documents filed in the US, Greenberg Traurig and its subcontractor will be paid a monthly retainer of $25,000 “to conduct meetings with all relevant Committees in Congress, including meetings with the Chairmen, Ranking Members and the members of Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee to ensure United States legal and governmental compliance for the sale of helicopter parts for the T129 ATAK helicopter to the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (PAAC) or to any other third party”.

Additionally, Greenberg Traurig has been hired by the Turkish government to provide general lobbying services worth $1.538 million in 2020 alone, to secure the export licence Turkish Aerospace needs from July 15 to November 15, with an option to extend for additional seven month periods. The initial period of the contract reflects the timing of the US presidential election, ahvalnews said.