Turkey terminates provisional missile deal with China

ANTALYA, Turkey, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Turkey has reportedly canceled a provisional $3.4 billion contract for Chinese long-range missiles amid NATO objections and lack of technology transfer.

The Istanbul-based Daily Sabah said Turkey now intends to develop its own long-range missile system.

The source for the report was unidentified defense industry sources.

Turkey signed the provisional agreement in 2013 with the state-run China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation. Government officials at the time said they preferred the Chinese offer over European offers due to its competitiveness and potential for co-production in Turkey.

Subsequent negotiations with the company, however, met Turkey's co-production and technology transfer requirements. Turkey's requirement for co-production is 55 percent local content.

NATO's had opposed the deal, saying Chinese technology "is not compatible with the evolving ballistic missile shield being built in Europe," the newspaper said.

Turkish companies currently produce short- and middle-range ballistic missiles, such as the J-600T Yıldırım, SOM cruise missile and the laser-guided Cirit missile.