Head of a Turkish weapons factory in jail for trying to sell designs and plans to the U.S.
A Turkish weapons factory head was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison on Dec. 29 for trying to sell Turkish weapons designs to a U.S. company. He was found guilty of trying to sell design and production plans for an MP-5 sub-machine gun for $70,000 and a MPT-76 national infantry rifle for $300,000 to an official working for a U.S. firm. The MPT-76, using the Turkish acronym for “national infantry rifle,” is designed and produced by the government-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation or MKEK. The MPT-76 has also seen demand from countries including not only United States but also Chile and Azerbaijan. Its rifle passed 42 NATO tests, becoming the first rifle to pass the test without a mistake.