France balks at joint production of anti-missile systems after Turkish operation in Syria

   ANKARA, Jan. 7 -- France has blocked progress in the joint production program of Eurosam's SAMP/T anti-missile systems for political reasons after Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria in late 2019, a Turkish official said Monday.
   "We are at the stage of definition study. France has a negative attitude for the next phase. It creates trouble to go one step further," said Ismail Demir, chair of the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate, at an annual review meeting with the press.
   "If this attitude continues, we will proceed with the other partner," Demir added, referring to Italy.
   France did not make a general declaration of an embargo but has made it difficult in some specific projects, he noted.
   Turkey signed an agreement with the French-Italian consortium in 2018 for the potential joint production of a developed version of Eurosam's SAMP/T anti-ballistic missile system, and started an 18-month-long study to determine the needs and priorities for the project.
   In October of 2019, the French National Assembly, lower house of the parliament, approved unanimously a resolution condemning Turkey's Operation Peace Spring, which was launched on Oct. 9 against Syrian Kurdish fighters in the east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria.
   Turkey's deal with Italian-French consortium came at a time when Ankara saw fierce pressure from the United States over its plans to purchase Russia's S-400 air defense systems.
   Elaborating a U.S. sanction on Ankara for its deal with Russia, the official said the Turkish defense companies continue the production of F-35 components as a goodwill gesture despite a U.S. statement that these companies will be suspended from the supply chain of the aircraft in March 2020.
   If the United States insists on halting production in Turkish companies and excluding Turkey from the program, Ankara has legal rights to act against the U.S. move, he added.
   Turkey began receiving Russia's S-400 systems in July last year, despite Washington's argument that the Russian S-400 systems jeopardizes sensitive information of the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets Turkey is helping build and plans to purchase.
   The installment and training of the first batch of S-400 systems will be finalized in April, Demir revealed.
   Talks are still ongoing with Russian officials for procurement of the second batch of the systems since the new purchase will require technology transfer, joint production and details for friend and foe system, he said.
   Russia proposed to sell Su-35 aircraft when the United States halted Turkey's partnership in the F-35 program, but Ankara is still considering the proposal as such procurement will bring a series of changes in parameters of Turkish defense systems, the Turkish official noted.  Xinhau