Turkey: US favourable to sale of armed drones

Turkish President Abdullah Gul says the U.S administration is trying to convince the U.S. Congress to allow the sale of armed drones to Turkey. Turkey wants to buy the drones to help its fight against autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels. But analysts say some Congress members may oppose sales to Turkey due to its tense relations with Israel. A botched attack in December - in which the military acting on intelligence from unarmed drones killed 34 smugglers it mistook for the rebels - is likely to further complicate sales. Gul met President Barack Obama on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Chicago late Monday. The state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Gul as telling Turkish reporters after the meeting that Obama's administration is favorable to the sale.