Türkiye mulls SAMP/T, Patriot buy: Defense minister
Türkiye is evaluating potential purchases of SAMP/T and Patriot missile systems as it moves to bolster its air defenses, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has said said as NATO prepares to gather in Ankara for a summit centered on burden-sharing.
“NATO continues to be an unparalleled and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and defense. We evaluate the period we are going through not as a crisis, but as a process of adjusting to the changing security environment,” Güler was quoted as saying by daily Hürriyet on June 30.
He said Türkiye is examining all available options to bolster its air defenses, including potential procurement of the SAMP/T system and the Patriot missile system, according to the report.
The remarks come as Ankara prepares to host 32 NATO leaders, along with officials from the Gulf and Asia-Pacific region, for a summit on July 7-8. The gathering is expected to focus on alliance unity, defense spending commitments, support for Ukraine and rising tensions over burden-sharing within the alliance.
