Turkey’s Defense Chief Targets Top-10 Exporter Rank Ahead of NATO Summit

Haluk Görgün, president of Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), gave an interview to broadcaster A Haber published July 4, days before the NATO summit opens in Ankara on July 7-8. In the interview, Görgün laid out figures on Turkey’s defense and aerospace export performance and outlined plans for a reception the agency will host for NATO delegates during the summit. The figures cited come from the agency’s own reporting rather than an independently audited source, though they are presented here as attributed statements from the head of Turkey’s defense procurement body.

Export figures and targets

Görgün said Turkey has reached a position where, in his words, “65 percent of the world market is being supplied from Turkey,” describing the country as having achieved a number of firsts globally in the sector. He also cited a growth trajectory in exports: from $4.4 billion in 2022 to more than $10 billion last year, according to his account. In a separate statement carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency, Görgün said the sector exported a combined $10.5 billion in defense and aerospace goods to 185 countries over the trailing 12-month period, with the aim of pushing that figure past $11 billion in the near term. He additionally said the sector had signed $17.8 billion worth of new contracts.

Despite that growth, Görgün acknowledged Turkey currently ranks 11th among defense-exporting nations. “We aim to move Turkey into the world’s top 10 in defense and aerospace exports,” he said, framing the ranking climb as the agency’s central near-term goal.

NATO summit and the TUSAŞ reception

Görgün’s remarks came just ahead of the Defense Industry Forum tied to the NATO Ankara summit. As part of that forum, a reception for senior military and civilian officials from NATO and allied nations, along with international defense industry executives, will be held at the TUSAŞ facility in Kahramankazan, outside Ankara. Görgün will host the event.

Describing the intent behind the gathering, Görgün said, “We are planning this not as a show of force but as a sharing of capability,” adding that TUSAŞ and Baykar platforms would take part in flight demonstrations for the visiting delegation. National platforms, including the KAAN fighter jet, are expected to be presented to the attending officials and executives.

Context

The NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8 brings together defense industry representatives from across the alliance. The forum and reception scheduled around it are widely seen as an opportunity for Turkey to present its production capacity and export capability directly to NATO allies and industry leaders. The export figures and ranking targets cited by Görgün are official statements from the agency; they have not been independently verified against a separate international ranking source.

Sources: A Haber, AA, Haberler.com.