Haluk Görgün, the President of the Presidency of Defense Industries, stated that the momentum of increase in defense industry exports will continue, saying, “We closed last year with $5.5 billion worth of export deliveries, but we also signed new contracts worth $10.2 billion. This year, we will meet the needs of friendly countries with even larger figures.”
The Defense and Aerospace Industry Cooperation Days (ICCDA) event organized by the OSTIM Defense and Aerospace Cluster (OSSA) started at the ATO Congresium. During the event, which brings together global actors in the defense and aerospace sector with main contractor institutions and SMEs, business meetings will be held for 3 days.
İbrahim Yarsan, the Chairman of the OSSA Board of Directors, said at the opening of the event that the Turkish defense industry has written an important success story in recent years with the projects implemented.
Yarsan emphasized that they aim to establish new collaborations between SMEs and main industry companies with participants from more than 50 countries during the event and underlined the importance of these collaborations for the development of the sector.
“Our export value per kilogram increased by 14% last year” Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün stated that they continue their efforts to meet the needs of the defense industry rapidly, saying, “From our main and subcontractor companies to SMEs, universities, and R&D centers, a large ecosystem is the most important actors in the growth and development of our defense industry.”
Görgün stated that Turkey’s defense industry exports have been increasing every year, and products developed in all areas from land, sea, and air defense products to space have met the needs of both domestic and friendly country armies over the past decade.
Görgün emphasized that Turkey has become a country that is praised internationally for its competitive and technological products, stating:
“Our export value per kilogram continues to increase every year. Our export value per kilogram reached $65 last year, with a 14% increase compared to the previous year. We attach importance to ensuring sustainable growth of our sector. We are aware that our sector is growing, and our main problem is managing this growth. Therefore, as the Presidency, we pay special attention to national and international industrialization events, the establishment of business platforms, and increasing interaction.”
Görgün expressed that such events are important for highlighting the business and investment opportunities in the country, stating that they have seen and will continue to see the results of the steps taken.
Görgün stated that these developments are also reflected in the numbers, saying, “We closed last year with $5.5 billion worth of export deliveries, but we also signed new contracts worth $10.2 billion. With the efforts of our companies, we will meet the needs of friendly countries with even larger figures this year. We already anticipate that these will increase with our reassuring cooperation approach aimed at establishing a sustainable defense industry collaboration.”
Görgün expressed his satisfaction with the intense participation from more than 50 countries at the event.
Ankara is the locomotive of the country’s defense industry Orhan Aydın, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the OSTIM Organized Industrial Zone, emphasized that a defense industry ecosystem has been formed in Ankara and clustering has been established to advance this ecosystem further. Aydın said that they are proud to host this structure and stated, “We see that Turkey has the power to produce, and the ability to produce quality products has emerged. We will make every effort to increase this power in the procurement system.”
Gürsel Baran, the President of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, emphasized that the Turkish defense industry is experiencing its golden age and said that SMEs have made significant contributions to this success. Pointing out that OSSA has made a series of efforts to increase SMEs’ contribution to the sector, Baran stated that he believes the event will open the door to new business opportunities.
Seyit Ardıç, the President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry, stated that one of the most valuable works in the defense and aerospace industry in the last 20 years has been achieved, and the localization rate has reached up to 80%.
Emphasizing that it is not possible to talk about economic and political independence without a defense industry, Ardıç underlined that Ankara is the locomotive of the country in terms of defense and aerospace industry.
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç