Turkey could choose China’s missile defense system by end of year

Turkey could choose China’s missile defense system by end of year. Turkey will likely end up choosing China’s long-range missile system and complete a deal by the end of the year if US and European arms manufacturers continue to refuse amending their offers to meet Ankara’s demands, reports Turkey’s Daily Sabah. In 2013, Turkey accepted a bid from the China Precision Machinery Export-Import Corporation (CPMIEC) for its first anti-missile system at a pricetag of US$3.4 billion, though the agreement is yet to be signed. It is believed that Ankara wants to keep its options open with US and European arms dealers given concerns about possible compatibility problems between the Chinese system and NATO’s, but none of the alternate firms appear to be particularly willing to alter their offers to match the requirements specified by Turkey, the report said. While CPMIEC has offered favorable terms including joint production — which is significant as Turkey wants to eventually build its own system — there are still issues to be ironed out, including issues of technology transfer and the development of common technology. In April, Turkish defense industry undersecretary Ismail Demir confirmed that talks with “several parties” are continuing as China “did not respond to our demands within our measures,” adding that an agreement has not been signed with any country. Ankara has also not been clear over the issue of NATO compatibility, with former Turkish defense minister Ismet Yilmaz saying in February that Ankara did not plan to integrate the new defense system with NATO systems, though presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said in the same month that they will definitely make the systems compatible to ensure “integration and harmony.” Professor Mustafa Kibaroglu, chairman of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at MEF University in Istanbul, believes that firms manufacturing the US Patriot and Franco-Italian Euro-SAM missile defense systems have been revising their offers, meaning Turkish authorities might not be in a rush to sign a deal with CPMIEC. However, Kibaroglu said, unless the US and European firms realize that Ankara is not bluffing and adjust their offers accordingly, “Turkey may make its ultimate decision over the next several months or possibly within a year or so and go ahead with the actual deployment of the Chinese air-defense system.” Though the Chinese system might not be on par with its American or European counterparts, Turkey might still go with CPMIEC if “the Chinese system remains the only viable offer and both the American and European firms continue to drag their feet in drawing closer to Turkey’s expectations.”