Turkey Ready to Build Own Missiles Defense System, Or Work With Foreigners

Ankara has capabilities to produce missiles for its own missile defense system, but can also cooperate with foreign companies on the matter, the head of Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries said Friday.

ANKARA (Sputnik) —  In November 2015, Turkey canceled a $3.4-billion missile defense system tender, as it decided to develop the system by itself.

"We could produce long-range missiles [for the missile defense system] by ourselves, as well as to evaluate the capabilities for the cooperation, including with the companies that have sent applications for participation in the tender," Ismail Demir said, as quoted by Turkish NTV television.

In 2009, Turkey put out a tender for the creation of its missile defense system. US consortium of Raytheon & Lockheed Martin, European Eurosam and Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport were among the participants, however China's CPMIEC became the winner in the tender.