S. Korea, Turkey upgrade defense cooperation
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Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
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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