No Talk With Russia Over Missile System, Says Official

Turkey has rejected claims that it has been in negotiations with Russia over a long-range air defense system.



Speaking on Friday, Ismail Demir, Turkey's undersecretary for defense industries, said: "There is no official talk with Russia."



Demir was attending a conference on the country's defense sector in Istanbul.



Local media had reported that Moscow renewed its interest in the missile project and said it previously revised a bid to sell Ankara its S-400 missile system.



"We announced which country won the tender of the missile defense system," Demir added.



Turkey, a NATO member state since 1955, announced in September it had decided on an FD-2000 missile defense system – worth US$3.4 billion – from China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp over systems from the Italian-French and American companies.



However, CPMIEC faced sanctions by the U.S. government for its violations of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Non-proliferation Act. NATO and the U.S. are pressuring Ankara not to build a missile defense system in co-operation with a company from a non-NATO-member state, saying that the Chinese system is incompatible with NATO technology.



Demir stated that Turkey not only wants a missile defense system but a technology transfer as well. "Turkey wants that the missile system can be equipped with the latest technology after 10 or 15 years. That's why we are seeking a technology transfer too," Demir said.



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