ANKARA Ñ South Korea and Turkey have launched an effort to expand defense cooperation.

Officials said the effort is meant to formalize cooperation that could facilitate weapons sales and the transfer of defense technology. The two countries are meeting in a 10-day conference in Ankara which ends next week.

For South Korea, the meeting in Ankara is part of a marketing drive to sell weapons throughout the Middle East. Officials said the next market will be Egypt.

Defense relations were launched last year when South Korea's Samsung Techwin signed a $60 million contract with Turkey's Defense Ministry. Samsung agreed to provide Turkey with an upgrade kit for the 155 mm artillery.

Officials said South Korea will supply components and technology for the upgrade of 300 Howitzers until 2011. The upgrade will be performed in Turkey and is based on South Korea's K-9 artillery, with a range of 40 kilometers.

The South Korean delegation is led by Maj. Gen. Shin Bo-hyun.

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