The Relationship Between ASELSAN and the SSB
The relationship between ASELSAN and the SSB is often misunderstood: the SSB does not own ASELSAN. The SSB (Presidency of Defence Industries) is the state body that plans, manages and coordinates defence-procurement projects in Turkey, while ASELSAN is a contractor that delivers those projects. Below we explain this important distinction.
What is the SSB and its relationship with ASELSAN?
The SSB is a public body under the Presidency that runs defence-industry policy and procurement projects. On a project it defines the requirement, signs the contract and oversees the process. ASELSAN plays the contractor (producer/developer) role in these projects. So the relationship is not ownership but a customer-contractor and coordination relationship.
Ownership confusion: SSB or TSKGV?
A common mistake is to think ASELSAN belongs to the SSB. In fact, ASELSAN’s main shareholder is TSKGV (~74.2%), with the rest publicly traded on Borsa Istanbul. The SSB is not a shareholder of ASELSAN but its most important customer and the coordinator of its projects. This distinction is critical to correctly understanding the company’s legal structure.
| Topic | SSB | ASELSAN |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | State body (coordinator) | Joint-stock company (contractor) |
| Role | Project planning, contracting, oversight | Development and production |
| Ownership link | Does NOT own ASELSAN | Main shareholder TSKGV |
| Relationship type | Customer-contractor | Contractor-customer |
Frequently asked questions
Does the SSB own ASELSAN?
No. The SSB does not own ASELSAN; it is the state body that coordinates defence projects. ASELSAN’s main shareholder is TSKGV.
What is the SSB?
The SSB (Presidency of Defence Industries) is the state body that plans, contracts and oversees defence-procurement projects in Turkey.
Does ASELSAN work under the SSB?
ASELSAN runs most of its projects under SSB coordination; but this is a customer-contractor relationship, not ownership.
Does ASELSAN’s money come from the SSB?
ASELSAN earns revenue from contracts coordinated by the SSB; but it is a publicly listed, for-profit company with export income too.
Sources
- ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, SSB, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN corporate information; public defence-industry sources (2026).
- Images: Wikimedia Commons (attributions under each image).
Related: What is ASELSAN?
