• Turkey to seal the Tank-2000 deal in 2000 (Feb. 11)

Turkey's Defense Minister Sebahattin Cakmakoglu told the NTV television channel a separate $1.5 billion deal for 250 battle tanks, the first trance in a plan to buy 1,000 tanks, would be concluded by the end of July. 

Turkey also plans to acquire 1,000 main battle tanks by 2013 to replace its ageing inventory under a deal worth $8 billion. 

Cakmakoglu said he expected a resolution of the first section of the tank tender in July. "The choice in evaluating the first part of the project, which is 250 tanks and amounts to $1.5 billion, will be made by the end of July this year," he said. 

Germany's Krauss Maffei Wegmann is bidding with its Leopard II tank. General Dynamics, France's Giat, Italy's Iveco Fiat and a Ukrainian firm are also tendering. 

A German decision to send one Leopard II tank to Turkey for tests ignited a political row in Germany. The German government now says Turkey must improve its human rights record before it will sell it the tanks. (NTV) 

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