France Signals Openness to Potential SAMP/T Air Defense Sale to Turkey

France has become more receptive to a potential sale of the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defense system to Turkey, marking a significant shift after years of political resistance that had stalled the program, according to sources familiar with the matter. However, French officials have not confirmed that a final decision has been made. 

The reported change follows recent discussions between French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of this week's NATO summit in Turkey. Sources indicated that political willingness has increased in Paris, although substantive negotiations with Ankara are only beginning. The French presidency disputed parts of the reporting but did not specify which elements it considered inaccurate. 

Turkey, France, and Italy launched cooperation on a long range air and missile defense program in 2017, including studies on co-development and co-production of the SAMP/T system. The initiative later stalled as relations between Paris and Ankara deteriorated over Syria, Libya, and disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean involving Greece and Cyprus. 

The SAMP/T, developed by the Eurosam consortium comprising MBDA France, MBDA Italy, and Thales, is Europe's principal long range ground based air and missile defense system. Ankara is evaluating the system alongside the U.S. Patriot as part of its planned Steel Dome integrated air and missile defense architecture. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler previously stated that Turkey remains interested in arrangements involving technology transfer and joint production. 

According to the sources, Italy has consistently supported closer defense industrial cooperation with Turkey, while France had remained the primary political obstacle to the project. A Turkish official indicated that all three governments now appear willing to move discussions forward after several years of limited progress. 

Any agreement would likely focus on the next generation SAMP/T NG system and could include industrial cooperation in addition to procurement. Analysts caution that negotiations are expected to be lengthy and politically sensitive, particularly given France's strategic defense relationships with Greece and Cyprus. The reported French position should therefore not be interpreted as approval of a final export decision. 

If realized, the deal would represent one of the most significant European defense industrial cooperation initiatives involving Turkey in recent years and could strengthen NATO's integrated air and missile defense capabilities while expanding Europe's defense manufacturing partnerships.