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Turkey Plans Meeting on Possible Patriot Purchase, Official Says

Turkey Is Said to Plan Meeting on Possible Patriot Purchase

(Bloomberg) -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to convene his top defense body on Thursday to discuss a U.S. proposal to sell Patriot missile defense systems to Turkey, according to a senior Turkish official.

Turkey Plans Meeting on Possible Patriot Purchase, Official Says

The Presidency of Defense Industries is expected to hold a preliminary discussion on a possible purchase of the American system, the official said, asking not to be identified because he wasn’t authorized to disclose the meeting plans.

Turkey’s presidency confirmed the planned meeting but wouldn’t say what was on the agenda.

Although a detailed assessment is unlikely at such an early stage, the discussion itself reflects the rapid detente between Ankara and Washington that’s currently underway after years of strain that culminated with since-lifted U.S. sanctions on Turkey.

U.S. President Donald Trump gave an additional boost to the relationship earlier this month when he agreed to withdraw troops from Syria, signaling an end to his support for Kurdish groups that Turkey deems terrorists.

To contact the reporter on this story: Firat Kozok in Ankara at fkozok@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, ;Onur Ant at oant@bloomberg.net, ;Riad Hamade at rhamade@bloomberg.net, ;Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Amy Teibel, Shaji Mathew

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