Erdoğan in Seoul: South Korea’s Interest in PD170 Grows
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is in Seoul from November 1 to 4 at the invitation of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. Ahead of the visit, he gave an interview to Yonhap News Agency in which he said Türkiye sees cooperation opportunities with South Korea in defense industry, nuclear energy, high technology, artificial intelligence and renewable energy. The remarks were published by Türkiye’s Presidential Communications Directorate on November 2.
One notable point in the interview was Erdoğan’s reference to growing South Korean interest in the PD170 turboprop engine, developed by TEI, the engine subsidiary of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ). According to the Communications Directorate’s text, Erdoğan said he welcomed this interest and presented the engine as a concrete example of high-technology cooperation between the two countries. PD170 is the latest member of TEI’s indigenous turboprop family, designed for trainer and light attack aircraft, unmanned platforms, and some regional aircraft applications.
Erdoğan repeated his target of raising bilateral trade to 15 billion dollars, citing 2025 figures of roughly 1.14 billion dollars in Turkish exports to Korea against about 10.26 billion dollars in imports. That imbalance is part of why joint production in defense and high technology is being framed as a tool to rebalance the relationship rather than just expand it.
Per the published text, Erdoğan also said preliminary feasibility work with Korea’s state utility KEPCO continues for Türkiye’s planned second nuclear plant in Sinop, with electricity cost and financing structure described as decisive for the final decision. He invited Korean investors into electronics, semiconductors, robotics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy, and welcomed Hyundai’s electric-vehicle production start in İzmit along with POSCO’s steel investments.
The delegation accompanying Erdoğan includes Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Defense Industry Agency (SSB) President Haluk Görgün. Görgün’s presence in the delegation signals that defense industry is a core agenda item, though the published text gives no detail on any defense contract due to be signed beyond the PD170 reference.
Defense ties between the two countries are not new. The Altay tank program, built on Hyundai Rotem technology, remains the best-known joint effort. Lee’s visit to Ankara in November 2025 already raised the prospect of deepening defense and nuclear cooperation, and Erdoğan’s trip to Seoul continues that exchange of state visits.
Whether the PD170 interest turns into an actual export or co-production agreement depends on the outcome of Erdoğan’s formal meeting with Lee on November 3. At this stage, the published material amounts to a statement of intent and a public acknowledgment of interest in a specific Turkish technology; the content of any documents to be signed will become clear only after that meeting.
TEI, originally formed as a joint venture between Turkish Aerospace and General Electric and now operating under the TUSAŞ umbrella, has pursued a years-long localization program that began with components such as APUs and gearboxes before reaching full turboprop-engine capability with PD170. The engine was designed around low fuel consumption and maintenance cost for light trainer aircraft and some UAV platforms, and has a technical link to TUSAŞ’s Hürkuş trainer program.
Korean interest in the engine can be read against the complementary structure of the two countries’ defense industries: Korea has a strong base in armored vehicles and large aircraft programs through K2 Black Panther and KAI, while Türkiye has built up rapid capability in drones, engines and electronic warfare over the past decade. Erdoğan’s separate mention of drones and electronics in the interview suggests this complementarity is now part of the official narrative, not just an industry observation.
Sources
- Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Directorate of Communications, “President Erdoğan Gave an Interview to Yonhap News Agency,” 02.11.2026 — iletisim.gov.tr — Primary source for the President’s remarks, the visit itinerary and the delegation list.
