US has ‘Serious Concerns’ about Turkey’s Choice of Chinese Missile System

Secretary of State John Kerry with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Sept. 23, 2013 The United States said on Saturday it had expressed serious concerns to Turkey over its decision to co-produce a long-range air and missile defense system with a Chinese firm under U.S. sanctions.

Turkey, a member of the NATO military alliance, announced this week that it had chosen the FD-2000 missile defense system from China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp, or CPMIEC, over rival systems from Russian, U.S. and European firms. . . .

“We have conveyed our serious concerns about the Turkish government’s contract discussions with a U.S.-sanctioned company for a missile defense system that will not be inter-operable with NATO systems or collective defense capabilities,” a State Department spokeswoman said.

“Our discussions on this issue will continue.”

China Missile Defense Security & Defense Turkey United States and Canada

Image: Secretary of State John Kerry with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Sept. 23, 2013 (photo: Department of State)