Estonian parliamentary committee probes purchase of 230 Turkish armored vehicles for €200m — ERR News
The Anti-Corruption Committee of the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament, is examining the circumstances of the procurement of wheeled armored vehicles from Turkey. In 2023, Estonia purchased 230 vehicles from the Turkish companies Otokar and Nurol Makina for €200 million, and the entire batch has already been delivered, ERR News reports.
Questions over equipment compatibility
The committee expects explanations from Estonia’s Ministry of Defence and the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments, which was responsible for the procurement. In a report by the parliamentary National Defence Committee, experts stated that the deal with Turkish manufacturers meant abandoning strategic cooperation with neighboring countries. In their view, in wartime Estonia’s military equipment would be incompatible with that of its neighbors.
National Defence Committee member, reserve Major General Meelis Kiili, raised the question of why Estonia moved away from a technologically advanced and geographically close ecosystem of strategic partners in favor of a more distant one. The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments did not comment on the situation to ERR on Thursday, stating that the defence minister would explain the procurement decision.
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Defence minister’s position
Defence Minister Martin Herem stated that purchasing the same armored vehicles as those used by the 1st Brigade would have cost more, while the battalions of the 2nd Brigade still would not have been equipped with armored vehicles. According to him, price and delivery speed were key factors, and the Turkish armored vehicles had the shortest delivery times.
Former Ministry of Defence Secretary General Kaimo Kuusk stated that, alongside price and delivery timelines, maintenance capabilities should have been taken into account. Herem said that there have so far been no problems with the supply of spare parts and that procurement of armored vehicle maintenance services in Estonia is also underway.
