The Turkish president has announced that Ankara opened talks with Eurosam, maker of the Aster 30, to build an air defense system one day after a Defense News story reported that Turkey was distancing itself from a Chinese option.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters Sunday that Turkey had opened talks on purchasing the French-Italian Eurosam to acquire its first long-range air- and anti-missile system after negotiations on a controversial deal with a US-blacklisted Chinese company hit a rock.
“Some disagreements have emerged with China on the issues of joint production and technology transfer during negotiations over the missile defense system,” Erdogan said. […]