Who is Ömer Korkut, general manager of SDT?
Quick answer: Ömer Korkut has been the general manager of SDT Uzay ve Savunma Teknolojileri A.Ş. (SDT Space and Defence Technologies) since March 2020. Retired from the Turkish Naval Forces Command, Korkut served for about six and a half years as a deputy general manager at defense software company STM before joining SDT. Specialized in information technologies and command and control applications, Korkut has overseen the company’s January 2023 initial public offering, its new campus investment and the expansion of its export network. Records of the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), Turkey’s official corporate disclosure system, confirm him as the current general manager.
Who is Ömer Korkut?
According to appointment reports carried in the Turkish defense industry press in March 2020, Korkut is an executive with a Naval Forces background; after his military career he served as a deputy general manager at STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik. SDT’s official announcement stated that with Korkut’s appointment as general manager, his predecessor Mustafa Fatih Ünal took over as deputy chairman of the board. The change is read as a step from founder-led to professional management; the company’s founding story is told in the what-is-SDT file.
Where has the company moved under Korkut?
The most visible corporate step of Korkut’s tenure was the initial public offering completed on January 4, 2023. In the gong ceremony report by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Korkut appeared among the speakers alongside board chairman Mehmet Dora; 839,000 investors subscribed to the 392 million Turkish lira (TL) offering. In the same report, company management said the IPO proceeds would fund a campus five times the size of the existing facility within two years, that resources would be set aside for research and development, and that exports were targeted to reach 30 percent of revenue by 2025. In an interview with Business News magazine in December 2023, Korkut said Turkey needed an even stronger defense industry; in a February 2023 interview he said the company had moved beyond SME level into the mid-tier segment.
| Period | Development | Source |
|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | Korkut appointed general manager | SDT official announcement, sector press |
| January 2023 | IPO on Borsa Istanbul under the ticker SDTTR | Anadolu Agency |
| 2024 | Statement of 11 percent inflation-adjusted growth | Euronewsport interview |
| 2025 | Liaison offices in Pakistan and Malaysia | Euronewsport interview |
| Early 2026 | Targeted completion of the new HAB campus | Euronewsport interview, A1 Capital note |
A management philosophy of controlled growth
In the Euronewsport interview published in June 2025, Korkut described the company’s strategy as “controlled growth.” In the same interview he said 2024 closed with 11 percent inflation-adjusted growth and more than 20 percent growth in dollar terms, and that revenue per employee rose above 200,000 dollars. According to Korkut, the company opened offices in Pakistan and Malaysia to lift exports; ACMI pods were integrated on F-16 and JF-17 aircraft in Pakistan, and RF jammer systems were exported to four African countries. The 2026-2030 strategic plan relayed in A1 Capital’s May 2026 note targets lifting revenue from 72 million dollars to 126 million dollars and the export share to 50 percent.
Who holds which corporate role?
According to KAP records, the chairman of the board is Mehmet Dora, who is also the largest shareholder with a 63.11 percent stake. Ömer Korkut heads the executive side as general manager; Mustafa Fatih Ünal is deputy chairman of the board. The structure reflects a division of roles between capital ownership and professional management. The product-side counterpart of the growth targets Korkut has announced can be followed in the SDT product guide, and the market-side counterpart in the export file.
Frequently asked questions
Who is SDT’s general manager?
Ömer Korkut. The March 2020 appointment was confirmed by the company’s official announcement and the sector press; his current role is confirmed by KAP records and a June 2025 interview.
What is Ömer Korkut’s background?
He is retired from the Turkish Naval Forces Command and served about six and a half years as a deputy general manager at STM. He specializes in information technologies and command and control applications.
Does Korkut also own SDT?
No. According to KAP records the largest shareholder is board chairman Mehmet Dora with a 63.11 percent stake; Korkut is a professional executive.
Who was the previous general manager?
Mustafa Fatih Ünal. Ünal, who presented the AVCI counter-drone system as general manager in 2019, became deputy chairman of the board in the 2020 change.
Has Korkut’s salary been disclosed?
No. Executive pay has not been officially disclosed on an individual basis.
Sources and verification note
Executive information was cross-verified across several independent sources: the company’s official announcement, two independent sector publications, an Anadolu Agency report and KAP records. Interview statements are attributed to the person who made them.
- https://www.sdt.com.tr/tr/haberler/sdtde-gorev-degisikligi (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://www.savunmasanayi.org/sdtnin-yeni-genel-muduru-omer-korkut/ (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://euronewsport.com/sdt-uzay-savunma-teknolojileri-genel-muduru-omer-korkut-sdt-olarak-kontrollu-buyumeyi-hedefliyoruz/ (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://www.businessnewstr.com/2023/12/01/sdt-uzay-ve-savunma-teknolojileri-a-s-genel-muduru-omer-korkut-turkiyenin-daha-da-guclu-bir-savunma-sanayiine-ihtiyaci-var/ (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://www.businessnewstr.com/2023/02/01/sdt-uzay-ve-savunma-teknolojileri-a-s-genel-muduru-omer-korkut-kobi-seviyesinden-ciktik-artik-orta-segmentteyiz/ (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://kap.org.tr/tr/sirket-bilgileri/genel/5686-sdt-uzay-ve-savunma-teknolojileri-a-s (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/ekonomi/borsa-istanbul-da-gong-sdt-uzay-ve-savunma-teknolojileri-icin-caldi/2779370 (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://a1capital.com.tr/sdttr-toplanti-notu-ve-mali-gorunum/ (Accessed: August 13, 2026)
