China deal to move Turkey away from NATO, main opposition says

ANKARA

Turkey announced last week that it had chosen the FD-2000 missile defense system from China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp. (CPMIEC) over rival systems from Russian, U.S. and European firms. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has criticized the government over its decision to select a Chinese firm for the construction of the country’s first long-range air defense system, noting the deal with distance Ankara from NATO.

“The United States especially and our NATO allies are showing their reactions. The Chinese firm is under U.S. sanctions and Turkey is a member of NATO. Turkey-EU relations have come to the brink of rupture under this government and by this agreement, the same will happen with NATO as well,” deputy leader Faruk Loğoğlu told reporters in Ankara on Sept. 30.

Turkey announced last week that it had chosen the FD-2000 missile defense system from China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp. (CPMIEC) over rival systems from Russian, U.S. and European firms.
CPMIEC is under U.S. sanctions for violations of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act. The U.S. said Sept. 28 that it had expressed serious concerns to Turkey over its decision.

Another deputy leader of the CHP, Erdoğan Toprak, echoed Loğoğlu’s comments. “The Justice and Development Party’s [AKP] purchase of missiles from China is quite meaningful. The AKP is trying to suspend ties with NATO just like it did with the EU. This is an act of incompetence if it is doing so because of U.S.-Iran rapprochement,” Toprak said in a written statement.