France softens stance on selling Franco-Italian air-defense system to Turkey, sources say
France's foreign ministry declined to comment and referred to the French presidency, as did the defense ministry. Turkey's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment
Assessment
A reported shift in French policy on a major arms sale would alter the military balance in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey's acquisition of a Franco-Italian air-defense system could reshape NATO dynamics and regional deterrence, particularly regarding Greece and Cyprus. Official silence from Paris, Rome, and Ankara suggests the matter remains diplomatically sensitive and unresolved.