On July 14, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik announced Turkey had signed a “cooperation agreement” with the Eurosam Consortium to acquire and coproduce the SAMP/T Aster 30 surface-to-air missile (SAM) defense system. The two-stage deal would first let Turkey import SAMP/T systems to bolster the country’s integrated air defense system, and then share technology with Turkey so it can coproduce the system with NATO allies. Ankara has been negotiating with Italian-French majority consortium for the NATO-compatible SAMP/T system since September reopening bidding when a 2013 decision to purchase the Chinese HQ-9 system was reversed.

Before Isik announced the Eurosam agreement, however, Bloomberg cited Turkish officials to report that Turkey and Russia had a preliminary agreement on a $2.5 billion deal for Moscow’s S-400 air defense system on. If Turkey opts for the S-400, the country would be unable to integrate the system into NATO’s defense architecture.