Turkey has not made a final decision on its planned long-range, missile-defense system and contract talks with China are continuing, an official for Turkey's Defense Industries Undersecretariat told Reuters Thursday.
The official was speaking after Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz said in a written answer to a parliamentary question that a bid assessment had been completed and no new official bid was received in the tender, first awarded to China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp in 2013.
Turkey is in talks over a $3.4 billion missile-defense system from China, Yilmaz said, despite U.S. and NATO concerns over security and compatibility of weaponry.
Yilmaz said in a written response to a parliamentary question published on Thursday that Ankara would use the long-range system without integrating it with NATO's system.
Turkey's initial plan to award the bid to China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp in 2013 prompted U.S. and NATO officials to say the deal could raise questions over security.