The Hart is actually on a five year lease to Turkey with the option to buy upon expiration. The lease began on 30 August, 1993. It is due to expire on 30 August, 1998. However, the U.S. might not push the date as to let Turkey decide what to do.

Talks seem to be mixed among Turkey's naval brass and the politicians. While the majority of the Navy is not enthusiastic about the class most see it necessary to buy the Hart and all other leased American vessels in order to keep pace with the current Greek buildup. Others think the Hart is too old and too lightly armed to stay in service. They are opting in favor of the newer German MEKO 200TN Class.

However, Turkey is unlikely to aquire any more of the class because of trade sanctions and because they simply don't have the cash. Turkey wants to purchase over twenty-billion dollars worth of naval equipment from now until 2025. As a result they probably will buy the Hart and most other leased ships as they will not be able to aquire anything else in the near future. Should Turkey keep the Hart, which they will most likely do, they have a plan already in place to overhaul and modernize her. But they are not making the plans of the overhaul public for obvious reasons.