Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the meeting, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said that they are aware that a strong defense industry is a must for the country.

Stating that they are going through a period in which risks and threats in the region and the world are increasing day by day and the perception of security is constantly changing, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that in this process, Türkiye has become a strong player in the global defense industry with its domestic industry.

Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that this success was reinforced by technology design, product development and value-added production, as well as strategic collaborations and international projects, and said, “Our country has taken a big step to reduce foreign dependence and develop its own defense industry, and has reached the level of producing its own defense systems in many strategic areas. 5 of our companies are among the top 100 defense and aerospace companies in the world.”

Pointing out that the domestic and national defense industry is a worldwide actor in the production of many defense instruments such as modern weapon systems, ammunition, armored vehicles, air defense systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Hisarcıklıoğlu continued his words as follows:

“In fact, Türkiye is the world leader in UAVs. Our exports of defense industry products continue to break records every day. Our sector, which closed 2023 with 5.5 billion dollars in exports, exported to 185 different countries. By the end of this year, we will reach 7 billion dollars in exports. These achievements make us all proud. As important representatives of this mission, you are strengthening both the might of our heroic army and the role of our state in the global security architecture.”

- “We must focus on developing indigenous technologies”

Pointing out that the world is on the verge of a new technological revolution, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We should focus on developing indigenous technologies in areas such as advanced materials, artificial intelligence and cyber security, which are the pioneers of the new industrial revolution. We must accelerate efforts to indigenize components of critical importance for our defense industry. The future success of the sector depends on acting together. Work needs to be done to ensure that the big players of the sector and the subcontractors around them act jointly.”

Stating that it is important to encourage more SMEs to join the defense industry ecosystem, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that there are thousands of SMEs in Anatolia that are competent and can be included in this ecosystem.

Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Türkiye’s industrial production capacity and product and machinery information are recorded in the TOBB Industry Database and made the following assessment:

“We are aware of all this information about which product, where and how much is produced in Türkiye. Let’s develop joint projects to strengthen the supply chain with our Presidency of Defense Industry, TOBB Defense Industry Council, chambers of commerce and industry. Let’s accelerate localization efforts. Let’s expand our Ankara-centered meetings to local areas with the aim of improving the competencies of our local subcontractors.”

- “There are great opportunities ahead of us to respond to global demand”

Ahmet Akyol, General Manager of ASELSAN, who also serves as the Chairman of the TOBB Turkish Defence Industry Council, said that Türkiye has a strong ecosystem in the field of defence industry, and that the sector has achieved significant growth and crowned this growth with exports.

Stating that they continue their journey with a growth rate ahead of all sectors in Türkiye, Akyol said:

“With a solid ecosystem in place, we have great opportunities ahead of us to respond to demand in a fast-growing world. We will turn these into higher achievements when we play as a team.”