"If we talk about Turkey, Germany still does not supply it with power units. The latter has imposed an embargo. Since the Altay tanks are similar to South Korea's K2 Black Panther tanks, the power group of these tanks fits the Altay tanks. And since Turkey has an urgent need, the power unit was procured from South Korea. The power unit is currently being integrated into the AItay... Until Turkey gets its own power unit, imports from South Korea are seen as the only way to go," the expert noted.
"Turkey is following the same path that it did with its combat aviation, modifying the American F-16 to suit its own needs. The Turks have wanted to create their own national tank for a very long time, as their existing German Leopards were in danger of major maintenance problems because of the Berlin embargo. Moreover, the German "wildcats" have failed to excel in the operations of the Turkish troops in Syria against the Kurds. The Kurds learned how to beat them, and Ankara did not want to lose its tank fleet. But it realized that its ‘Leopards’ are obsolete, and it needs new combat vehicles."
"Ankara did not fall for this ‘trap’. Turkish specialists quickly realized that this was an old Soviet tank, albeit with an upgraded ‘load’. At that time, the Yanychar had no time to take part in battles anywhere," Alexei Leonkov noted.
“Cooperation with Korea gives the Turks hope that they will have their own main battle tank. Yes, the power unit - engine and transmission - will be Korean, but the rest of the equipment the Turks will get otherwise or make themselves. Fortunately, that same company Aselsan specializes in electronics, and the Altay tank will receive its own fire control system, as well as devices for firing at night. That is, the Turks have an option to make the tank simpler, but it will look much more advantageous than the South Korean ‘Black Panther’. Why? A tank overloaded with electronics requires a highly skilled crew, capable of making field repairs for all these electronics. And the Turks should have a machine designed for simple tank drivers, and this simplicity will play a positive role for the Altai.”