Turkey hints at scrapping China missile system deal
Chinese military experts blast Ankara, saying the US$3.4 billion defence contract was dropped due to pressure from US and Nato
A Chinese firm has not met all the conditions set in a tender to build a missile defence system for Turkey, officials in Ankara said on condition of anonymity.
Turkey, which had provisionally awarded the US$3.4 billion contract to a Chinese firm, may begin seeking other offers, the officials noted.
Chinese analysts said Turkey's reasons for backing out of the deal for China's FD-2000 missile defence system were "not convincing". The analysts described Ankara's move as "predictable" and the "result of pressure" from the US and Nato.
Feng Zhongping , director of European studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said the assertion about failing to meet tender conditions was "ridiculous."
"As a member of the Nato alliance, Turkey should have the common sense to know its defence system doesn't match [the] Chinese FD-2000 missile system," said Feng. "I think [the] real reason behind Turkey's decision to pull out of the deal … is the great pressure from its Nato allies, with Washington paying close attention to Chinese military technology."
Nato voiced concern when Ankara said in September it had chosen China's HQ-9, or FD-2000 air-defence system, from China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corp over the Patriot system from the US firm Raytheon and rival systems from Russia's Rosoboronexport and Italian-French consortium Eurosam.