Report: Turkey to buy $4b long-range missile system

In response to regional tensions, Turkey is looking to buy new air defense missile system, daily Zaman reports.

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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of his party at the parliament in Ankara, June 12, 2012. Photo by AFP

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Turkey is planning to spend 4 billion dollars on a new long-range air defense missile system, in response to increasing regional tensions, the pro-government daily Zaman reported Wednesday.

According to the report, four systems are under consideration: The US PAC-3 Patriot missile system, Russia’s S400, China’s FD2000 and the SAMP-T missile produced by the French Italian consortium Eurosam.

A decision on which system Turkey will buy is due to be made at a meeting of the Defence Industry Committee chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which is scheduled for July 4.

According to Zaman, the decision to buy a long-range missile system was taken because of the increased deployment of similar long-range systems throughout the region.

In September, Turkey declared it will suspend all defense industry ties with Israel, after the the diplomatic relations between the two countries were downgraded.

The decision was seen as part of a series of penalizing measures against Israel over the latter’s refusal to apologize for killing nine Turkish nationals on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in 2010.

via Report: Turkey to buy $4b long-range missile system – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.