Türkiye and South Korea Sign $200M Defence Deal

It's a defence deal that will be worth $200 million once completed. A South Korean company will be supplying engine transmissions for Türkiye's main battle tanks, the Altay, which could run all the way to 2030. SNT Heavy Industries, the manufacturer of the 15-hundred horsepower transmissions, are replacing an earlier deal with a German firm, that collapsed due to an embargo imposed on Türkiye in 2019.

The tank deal is the latest where Ankara has found alternate sources for defence equipment, in the face of restrictions enacted by western countries. Meanwhile, late last month, Turkish firm SDT Space and Defence Technologies said it was going to supply parts for South Korea's domestically developed fighter jet, which Seoul hopes will be a cheaper option than the F35s from the US. So how deep do defence ties go between South Korea and Türkiye and other countries in the region. And can defence co-operation between middle powers be the first step towards reducing dependence on major arms exporters from the US, Russia and the EU?

Guests:
Kwang Ho Chun
Professor at Jeonbuk National University

Bilgehan Ozturk
Researcher at SETA Foundation