US congratulates Turkish Airlines on Boeing, GE deals

The U.S. Department of State issued a statement Thursday congratulating Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) on its multibillion deals with Boeing and General Electric (GE).

The agreements include the purchase of 25 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft as well as GE engines for the planes.

"These deals together total over $10 billion, create and sustain more than 25,000 U.S. jobs, and underscore the expanding economic cooperation between the United States and Turkey," the statement said.

"American companies, including Boeing and GE, are dedicated to the Turkish market, and their investment in Turkey has built capacity, trained talent, and provided innovative solutions to fuel the region's socio-economic growth."

The statement went on to congratulate the three companies and the Turkish government on the deals, adding that the U.S. was looking forward "to working with Turkey to deepen the U.S.-Turkey economic relationship."

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Turkish Airlines currently flies 326 aircraft, including passenger and cargo planes, to 302 destinations worldwide.