Turkey’s Defense Chief: Strategic Independence Requires Securing the Whole Supply Chain
According to the Presidency of Defense Industries, Prof. Dr. Haluk Gorgun addressed the Denizli Defense Industry Provincial Meeting on September 18, 2026. He said strategic independence is achieved only when subsystems, critical components and raw materials are secured domestically, not just the final platform.
- Event: Denizli Defense Industry Provincial Meeting, September 18, 2026
- Speaker: Prof. Dr. Haluk Gorgun, Head of Presidency of Defense Industries
- KAAN: 750 suppliers; SIPER: about 1,000 firms
- Domestic content: 83 percent (up from roughly 20 percent 23 years ago)
- $11 billion in defense and aerospace exports over the last 12 months
- Turkey ranks 11th globally among defense exporters
Scale of the Ecosystem
Gorgun said Turkey’s defense industry ecosystem now includes more than 4,000 companies, around 1,500 active projects and over 135,000 direct jobs. He noted that the KAAN fighter program draws on 750 suppliers and the SIPER air defense system on roughly 1,000 firms. Domestic content has risen from about 20 percent 23 years ago to 83 percent today, while the sector generated $11 billion in defense and aerospace exports over the past 12 months, placing Turkey 11th among the world’s defense exporting nations.
Prof. Dr. Haluk Gorgun, Head of Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Denizli’s Role in the Supply Chain
Gorgun said Denizli already has 45 active supply relationships between major primes — ASELSAN, TUSAS, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN and TEI — and local companies, with an annual volume of about $1.43 million. He noted ongoing investment with TEI in titanium alloys and semi-finished products, with the goal of positioning Denizli as a regional hub for critical materials and precision manufacturing.
Financing Support
| Program | Scope |
|---|---|
| Credit guarantee program | 40 billion lira guarantee, 51 billion lira total credit capacity |
| Program uptake | 1,580 companies, 10 billion lira drawn |
| Kuveyt Turk Participation Bank partnership | $400 million financing for 150 firms |
Gorgun said these financing tools are designed primarily for SME-scale suppliers seeking to expand capacity and modernize production.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t strategic independence limited to the main platform?
A fighter jet or missile system is built from hundreds of subcomponents and materials. If even one remains foreign-dependent, the whole supply chain carries risk — which is why Gorgun stressed localizing subsystems and raw materials as well.
What does the KAAN and SIPER supplier count show?
Networks of 750 and roughly 1,000 suppliers indicate these programs rest on a broad industrial base rather than a single company.
Why was Denizli the focus of this meeting?
Denizli stands out for its 45 existing supply relationships with major primes and for investment in critical materials such as titanium alloys.
What does 83 percent domestic content mean?
It means roughly 83 percent of a defense system’s components, on a weighted average basis, are produced in Turkey, with the remainder sourced abroad.
Bottom Line
Gorgun’s remarks in Denizli show that Turkey’s defense industry growth strategy now extends well beyond the main primes to a wide supplier base. Credit guarantee programs and participation-bank partnerships aim to widen that supplier base’s access to financing.
Sources
- Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), remarks at the Denizli Defense Industry Provincial Meeting (September 18, 2026)
