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A French defense official told Türkiye Today that discussions with Türkiye on the SAMP/T air-defense system and Meteor missiles are "going good," as France reportedly softens its opposition to selling the system to Ankara.
The official, who spoke to Türkiye Today on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of defense-related issues, said, "There are discussions ongoing with Türkiye both about the SAMP/T air defense system, and also talks on Meteor missiles to sell them to Türkiye with our partners in the UK, it's going good, that's all as far as I know."
Reuters reported on July 6 that France had softened its opposition to selling the SAMP/T air-defense system to Türkiye, citing five sources familiar with the matter.
According to Reuters, the shift opens the door to more substantive talks with Ankara on a system that Türkiye has sought for years as part of its planned Steel Dome integrated air and missile defense network.
Four sources told Reuters that France shifted its position after talks between President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a June 25 summit, though negotiations remain at an early stage.
"Before, there was a clear lack of openness, now there is openness," one source familiar with the discussions said, according to Reuters.
The SAMP/T is produced by the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium, which brings together MBDA France, MBDA Italy, and Thales.
The system can track dozens of targets simultaneously, intercept multiple threats at once, and is the only European-made system that claims to be able to intercept ballistic missiles.
It is often described as Europe's closest counterpart to the U.S. Patriot system.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters on June 30 that Ankara was evaluating all options to meet its air-defense needs, including potential purchases of U.S. Patriot systems or the SAMP/T.
"Our core approach on this issue is clear: we are open to all cooperation that meets our country's security needs, that includes technology-sharing and joint production, and that is sustainable and in line with the spirit of alliance," Guler said, adding that technical and political talks with relevant countries were taking place "from time to time."
Italy sent a SAMP/T system to Türkiye in mid-June as part of NATO defense planning.
Türkiye, France, and Italy launched cooperation on a possible long-range air-defense program from 2017 to 2018, including studies on co-development and co-production.
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