Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has urged French President Emmanuel Macron to remove political barriers preventing the sale and co-production of the Eurosam SAMP/T air and missile defense system, during bilateral talks at the NATO summit in The Hague.
Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey, as NATO’s second-largest land force and one of its top five contributors to missions and operations, should be fully included in Europe’s defense initiatives. According to Turkish officials, Erdoğan argued that France’s continued opposition to the SAMP/T project is primarily political and undermines alliance cohesion.
The SAMP/T system—developed jointly by France and Italy—uses the Aster 30 missile to intercept a range of aerial threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft. Ankara views the system as a key component of its national “Steel Dome” air defense architecture, which aims to establish a comprehensive, multilayered defense network integrating domestically developed systems with NATO-compatible platforms.
Turkish authorities have stressed that acquiring and co-producing the SAMP/T would help close gaps in Turkey’s long-range defense capabilities and ensure full interoperability with NATO’s air and missile defense infrastructure. A green light from France, they argue, would allow Turkey to accelerate the Steel Dome’s deployment within the next two to three years.
The trilateral SAMP/T cooperation dates back to 2018, when Turkey signed a feasibility study agreement with Eurosam involving Turkish firms Aselsan and Roketsan, alongside France’s Thales and Italy’s Leonardo. The study aimed to explore joint development of a system tailored to Turkey’s operational needs. However, the project was stalled following Turkey’s 2019 Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, which triggered diplomatic tensions with France. Italy, by contrast, has consistently backed the initiative.
Despite a resumption of political dialogue in 2022 and 2023, key disagreements between Ankara and Paris over Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Turkey’s military presence in Africa have continued to hinder progress on the missile project.
France has yet to respond publicly to Erdoğan’s latest request, but Italy remains committed to the joint working group preparing for co-production.
Turkey’s efforts to enhance its missile defenses have taken on new urgency in the wake of this year’s 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. Ankara has since expanded production of indigenous systems such as the Hisar-A+, Hisar-O, and Siper missile families, as well as directed-energy weapons. The Steel Dome initiative, which integrates various layers of air defense supported by radar networks and AI-assisted command-and-control systems, remains the cornerstone of Turkey’s military modernization agenda.
Turkish officials have reiterated that the Russian-made S-400 system, purchased in 2017, will not be integrated into the Steel Dome or NATO infrastructure. The $2.5 billion acquisition resulted in Turkey’s expulsion from the U.S.-led F-35 program and triggered sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). During the summit, Erdoğan reportedly informed U.S. President Donald Trump that the S-400 would only be used in limited scenarios, in a bid to reopen dialogue on fighter jet cooperation and sanctions relief.
Defense Ministry officials have confirmed that Turkey currently spends more than 3.5% of its GDP on defense—well above NATO’s former 2% benchmark—and supports the alliance’s new 5% target by 2035. Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk stated in a press briefing that extending the Steel Dome across national territory is now a top priority.
The Eurosam SAMP/T system, operational in France and Italy since 2010, is also in use by Singapore and Ukraine, with an updated next-generation (NG) version featuring GaN-based AESA radars and enhanced Aster 30 B1NT missiles capable of intercepting hypersonic threats. The system’s proven performance and NATO compatibility make it an attractive option for Turkey, both strategically and industrially. Turkish officials argue that co-production would support the domestic defense sector and boost exports through technology transfer and shared manufacturing of key components.
Erdoğan used the NATO summit to highlight the Steel Dome as a project aligned with the alliance’s priorities and framed France’s opposition to the SAMP/T cooperation as a test of intra-NATO solidarity. Ankara continues to insist that allowing Turkey to move forward with the program would not only enhance its national defense but also strengthen European missile defense architecture.
The outcome of these high-level talks may determine the future of the SAMP/T initiative and Turkey’s deeper integration into NATO’s evolving strategic posture.
