TURKEY’S MISSILES TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH NATO SYSTEMS
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Feb 23 2015
DAILY SABAH WITH WIRES
Turkey will make its newly planned long-range missiles compatible
with NATO systems, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Monday.
“As one of the most important countries in NATO’s security line, we
will definitely ensure this integration and harmony,” Kalin stressed.
A proposal evaluation process regarding Turkey’s long-awaited,
billion-dollar, long-range missile defense system has not been fully
finalized, according to an official for Turkey’s Defense Industries
Undersecretariat. Media reports have recently said that Turkey will
wait until April 24, which is the anniversary of the 1915 incidents to
select a winner for the missile defense system. Rumors in political
circles in Ankara said that no decision will be made on the missile
defense system winner before the date since Turkey wants to first see
France and the U.S.’s position on the 1915 incidents. An agreement
may be made with China if the U.S. and French administrations take a
“pro-Armenian” stance.
The Turkish Long-Range Missile Defense System Project is one of the
defense industry’s biggest projects in which Chinese, American and
Italian-French companies are vying for contracts.