NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said the alliance’s defence industry can learn from Türkiye, describing the country as having undergone a “defence industrial revolution".
Speaking at the headquarters of Aselsan, one of Türkiye’s leading defence industry firms, Rutte said there is “a lot” the sector can learn from what the country has achieved, pointing to its rapid advances in recent years.
"We have to do better, we have to do more, and we can learn a lot from what Türkiye is doing here," Rutte said.
"I said it before; Türkiye has gone through a defence industrial revolution," he said.
Rutte's visit comes ahead of a July summit by NATO leaders to be held in Ankara.
The NATO chief is due to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan held a phone call with Rutte earlier this month, as both leaders discussed regional and global developments and issues concerning the alliance.
Erdogan warned that escalating tensions linked to the US-Israel war on Iran risk deepening instability, calling on the international community to intensify efforts to end the war.
During the call, Erdogan also underscored NATO’s support for Türkiye’s air defence, saying recent solidarity demonstrated the alliance’s deterrence capacity.
NATO intercepted and neutralised ballistic munitions that entered Turkish airspace, highlighting the bloc’s operational coordination.
