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Ankara has been witnessing fierce competition among foreign bidders
competing in Turkey's $4 billion attack helicopter project, the
Foreign Ministry's last-minute intervention prompted the Turkish
Armed Forces (TSK) to soften its stance on the export license
guarantees it has been seeking from foreign competitors in both its
attack helicopter and main battle tank (MBT) projects.
Instead, the Defense Industries Undersecretariat (SSM), executing
the project on behalf of the TSK, wants bidders to provide strong
assurances that they will receive export clearance from their
governments.
Ankara is seeking to ensure that concerns about its human rights
record do not lead to the refusal of export licenses in the future.
The Turkish Embassy in Washington wrote to Ankara, saying requiring
an export license guarantee is unrealistic. Neither the German nor
the U.S. governments issue export guarantee letters to their
companies prior to selection, stressed foreign defense industry
sources. They added that Turkey should directly contact the
governments involved for export clearance rather than the companies
themselves.
On a recent official visit to the United States Deputy Chief of
General Staff Gen. Edip Baser reportedly sought assurances from the
Clinton administration that if U.S. equipment is selected, there
will be no delay in receiving export clearance.
Germany has already refused to issue an export license guarantee to
a German company competing in an MBT project valued at approximately
$7 billion. There was a fierce debate within Germany's coalition
government late last year before approval was granted for Krauss-Maffei
Wegmann to ship an MBT to Turkey for the trials that are now under
way. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has written to the German government
urging it to grant an export license for the Leopard IIA6 MBT.
For the companies competing in the MBT project, an SSM announcement
that a final selection would be made at the end of July was a big
surprise since they were expecting the final bidder to be named
towards the end of this year.
Local Turkish contractors have teamed up with foreign companies
presenting MBT designs. The United States' General Dynamics Land
Systems, proffering the M-1A2 fitted with a diesel engine, has
joined forces with BMC and Nurol Makina. Germany's Krauss-Maffei
Wegmann, offering the Leopard IIA6, has established a consortium
with Otokar. Submitting the Leclerc, France's Giat Industries has
gotten together with Roketsan. Ukraine's Ukrspetsexport has joined
with Asmas to offer the T-84. The Leopard IIA6 is competing against
General Dynamics Land Systems M-1A2 System Enhancement Program
(USA), Giat Industries Leclerc (France) and the Ukrspetsexport/Malyshev
T-84 (Ukraine). In all, 1,000 MBTs, worth $7 billion, are scheduled
to be produced in batches. The Request for Proposals (RfPs) call for
bids for four prototype MBTs and an initial production batch of 250
vehicles.
According to military sources the Turkish Land Forces Command is
concerned about Germany's current refusal to transfer 150 surplus
German Army Leopard I MBTs. They suggest the command may abandon its
plan to upgrade its 397 Leopard IA1/A3s along with the additional
MBTs in favor of just modernizing its larger M60 fleet.
Top contractors from
Turkey have teamed up with one of the foreign companies offering MBT
designs. General Dynamics Land Systems from the United States,
offering the M-1A2 fitted with a diesel engine, has teamed up with
BMC and Nurol Makina. Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, proposing its
Leopard IIA6 design, has established a consortium with Otokar.
Offering the Leclerc design, France's Giat Industries has teamed up
with Roketsan. Ukraine's Ukrspetsexport has teamed with Asmas to
offer the T-84. SSM, extending the deadline once more to respond to
the Request for Proposals (RfPs) for MBTs, finally received the
responses on Jan. 31. The RfPs' call for bids for four prototype
MBTs and an initial production batch of 250 vehicles. A total of
1,000 MBTs worth $7 billion is scheduled to be produced in batches.
But there is speculation that this number may be reduced. Meanwhile,
the Turkish Land Forces Command, angry with the German government's
current refusal to give permission for the delivery of 150 Leopard I
tanks, which became obsolete for the German army, has taken this
attitude as a negative answer. Depending on improvements in Turkey's
political climate Germany needs more time to decide on the transfer
of equipment to Turkey as well as to decide on the issue of export
licenses for Leopard II tanks. (Turkish Daily News, Lale
Sariibrahimoglu).
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