As it hosts NATO, Turkey eyes France's SAMP/T system, F-35 progress with Trump
Turkey is set to host NATO leaders as doubts over US commitment linger prompting Ankara to seeks its own defense deals with Paris and Washington.
ANKARA — Turkey is preparing to host Tuesday's NATO summit at a moment of heightened mutual dependence with the alliance and as France’s reported openness to a possible SAMP/T air defense system sale signals a thaw in defense ties.
The summit comes as regional wars and doubts over US security commitments are pushing Turkey and NATO members toward a more pragmatic defense relationship. Turkey’s geographic position, military weight and growing defense industry have become harder for Europe to ignore, while Ankara’s own air defense gaps have revived its need for allied cooperation. The result is a transactional thaw, including among European partners long wary of closer defense ties with Ankara.
Despite adopting a more cautious approach to defense cooperation with Turkey, Paris is now reportedly open to a possible SAMP/T sale after years of political opposition, Reuters reported Sunday, citing four sources.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told the news agency last month that Ankara was evaluating both the US Patriot and SAMP/T systems and remained open to technology transfer and joint production. Al-Monitor reached out to Turkish and French authorities, but received no response as of this writing.
