22.06.2006, 21:02
Zitat:U.S. -Turkey Arms Sales in Jeopardyhttp://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/3990097.html
ANKARA, Turkey — For the first time ever, there are no U.S. bidders for a major Turkish arms contract, signaling serious snags in one of the world's closest military-commercial partnerships.
For more than 50 years, the United States and U.S. firms have been the main arms suppliers to Turkey, a lynchpin of NATO's southern flank during the Cold War. Turkey, in a rough neighborhood that includes Iran, Iraq, Syria as well as traditional rival Greece, has also been eager to snatch up weapons to supply its large army, which is also dealing with a domestic Kurdish insurgency.
At the heart of the problems today are both diplomatic and technical issues rooted in Turkey's ambition to gain control over its military technology.
Turkey is going through a low point in defense relations with Washington following its refusal to host U.S. troops for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It has actively sought out other potential arms suppliers, making Turkey's business less attractive for U.S. companies.