Türkiye’s defence industry has been highlighted as a key contributor to NATO’s deterrence, production and interoperability goals during a panel held as part of the 36th NATO Summit of Leaders in Ankara.
The panel, titled “Türkiye’s Defence Industry as a Building Block of NATO’s Defence Architecture,” was held on Wednesday at Ankara Palas as part of the “Allies in Ankara” event, organised in cooperation with Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, the Munich Security Conference and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).
Participants discussed the capacity of Türkiye’s defence sector and its role in supporting NATO’s efforts to strengthen military production, reinforce deterrence and deepen interoperability among allied forces.
Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci said the NATO summit was important for shaping the alliance’s future defence and deterrence strategy, emphasising that Türkiye’s defence industry stands out not only for its technological capabilities but also for its strong supply chain.
Ikinci said the Turkish defence industry has more than 3,500 suppliers, while Roketsan works with over 2,000 companies to provide advanced defence solutions.
He also noted that Roketsan exports its products to more than 50 countries.
Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol said NATO allies have made commitments to increase defence spending, but the main challenge is converting these budgets into concrete military capabilities as quickly as possible.
Akyol said the war in Ukraine changed the strategic outlook in the defence industry, showing that technological excellence alone is no longer sufficient.
Türkiye, he said, is among the countries that stand out in the new security environment with its production capacity, dynamic defence ecosystem and broad industrial infrastructure.
Akyol also underlined Aselsan’s contribution to NATO through its work in allied countries.
