Turkey To Conclude Chinese Missile Deal In April: Reports

Turkey is hoping to finalize the deal with China for the purchase of long-range missile defense systems by April, according to Reuters.  

In September 2013, Turkey announced the selection of China’s FD-2000 missile-defense system over rival offers from Franco-Italian Eurosam SAMP/T and US-based firm Raytheon. It said China satisfies all the requirements and allows co-production of missiles in Turkey.

US and NATO officials have raised concerns with Turkish officials about the decision to buy the system from China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp. (CPMIEC), a US sanctioned-company for sales of items to either Iran, Syria or North Korea that are banned under US laws to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

“Our talks with China are ongoing. We have extended the bidding until the end of April. We are aiming to get results in early April on this,” Turkey's undersecretary for state-run defence industries Murad Bayar was quoted as saying.

In addition, Bayar said Turkey is likely to start ordering F-35 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp from 2015 onwards and it will start with two orders initially.

“We will start F-35 orders either this year or the next. Right now, it is likely to be next year,” Bayar said. “We will initially order two. The delivery time will be, depending on the orders, probably in 2017-2018.”

Turkey had already announced it plans to buy 100 F-35 jets for $16 billion. Bayar added he is expecting the deliveries of 100 aircraft to be completed within 10 years.