Turkey may break accord with new missile

Turkey may break international agreements after announcing plans to build a new locally-made surface-to-surface missile, Defense News reported.
Work on the Bora-2 missile, which will replace Bora-1, has already begun, Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli said on April 26. Bora-1 has a range of 280 kilometres and the new missile will have a longer range and more advanced guidance systems, Canikli said.
Turkey is a signatory to the Missile Technology Control Regime, which prohibits missiles with a range longer than 300 kilometers. The MTCR is an informal, non-treaty association of governments sharing common interests in the nonproliferation of missiles, UAVS and related technologies.
“The Bora-1 already has 280-kilometer range, and Turkey says its more advanced version will have a longer



range. That’s a big question mark. You would not launch a new missile program to add just 20 kilometers to an already existing range capability,” a NATO defence attache in Ankara said, according to Defense News.
Turkey is seeking to expand its regional reach both militarily and diplomatically as it positions itself as both a NATO ally and a cooperator with other powers in the region such as Russia, Iran and Qatar. It invaded northern Syria in January and is establishing military bases in Somalia and Qatar.
A senior Turkish government official refused to disclose the country’s new target range, the website said. It is imperative for Turkey, facing multiple conventional and asymmetrical threats, to develop programs, including missile technology to add to its firepower and deterrence, he said.