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Turkey's Altay tank project not ready to roll after all

Now that Turkey's government has rejected Otokar's bid for the Altay tank contract, other companies will participate in the tender, including BMC — a Turkish/Qatari partnership whose chairman is a close friend of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
People stand near by military vehicles displayed by Turkish company Otokar on June 13, 2016 during the the Eurosatory defence and security international exhibition in Villepinte, near Paris. / AFP / Jacques DEMARTHON        (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)
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After Otokar spent nine years developing the prototype for Turkey's indigenous Altay tank, the government has rejected the company's proposal for mass production and will open the multibillion-dollar contract to bidding.

The unexpected setback, announced June 9, shocked the defense industry.

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