Turkey and Italy resume talks on SAMP-T air defense systems

Turkey and Italy are preparing for a new round of negotiations on SAMP-T anti-aircraft missile systems, according to the Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak. The impetus for this was the deployment of an Italian air defense battery in Konya as part of NATO defense planning. Ankara is closely examining how the deployed system works and plans to discuss technology transfer, joint production, and expanded participation of Turkey’s defense industry with Rome.

The Italian SAMP-T system was originally deployed in Turkey for a six-month period, after which the mission will be assessed for a possible extension. Ankara sees SAMP-T as a critically important interim solution while it develops its own air defense systems. Previously, the project stalled at the trilateral talks stage between Turkey, Italy, and France due to political disagreements.