ANKARA, Mar 26 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey, France and Italy decided to resume defence cooperation talks, over the Eurosam’s SAMP/T missile system, the state TRT broadcaster reported.
“There were some steps we have taken between Turkey and France. We have decided to continue our efforts in the Turkey-France relations, and even to revive the steps we have taken as Turkey-France-Italy,” Erdogan told journalists, on his flight from Belgium to Turkey, referring to the trilateral cooperation negotiations over Eurosam’s defence systems.
The Turkish president elaborated on his meetings with French President, Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
“We discussed issue with Draghi, just as we discussed it with Macron. Draghi also brought up this issue in his meeting with Macron after me,” he said.
In 2019, Turkey, France and Italy signed a letter of intent, to strengthen defence cooperation, aimed to jointly develop an anti-ballistic missile system, based on the SAMP/T of the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium.
In 2018, Turkey awarded Eurosam and Turkish companies Aselsan and Roketsan, a contract for an 18-month joint study of the needs and priorities for the potential project.
The deal between Turkey and Eurosam came at a time when Ankara saw fierce pressure from the United States, over its procurement of Russia’s S-400 air defence systems.
However, France blocked progress in the joint production programme, after Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria in 2019, Ismail Demir, head of the Turkish Defence Industries Directorate, told local media in Jan, 2020.
In Oct, 2019, the French National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, approved unanimously a resolution condemning Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring.– NNN-ANADOLU
