Politics
Roketsan summit stresses local production, air defenses, missile capacity
Turkish defense officials and industry executives gathered Wednesday at the 3rd Strategic Partnership Summit hosted by Turkish missile company Roketsan in Ankara.
The officials underlined that strengthening domestic production, supply-chain resilience and space-based capabilities has become increasingly critical to national security, as wars and geopolitical tensions reshape the nature of modern conflict and put new pressure on the global defense industry.
During the event, the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), Haluk Görgün, and Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci remarked that Türkiye’s defense sector must be able to sustain production, adapt quickly to battlefield needs and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
Speaking at the event, Görgün said countries now bring not only their military platforms and munitions to the battlefield, but also their logistics capacity and industrial ecosystems.
“For this reason, the defense industry has become a strategic field of power that directly reflects a nation’s warfighting capacity, resilience and continuity,” Görgün said.
He said recent conflicts have shown that warfare is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with land, air, sea, cyber and space domains increasingly integrated into a single operational environment.
According to Görgün, space-based systems are gaining importance by accelerating decision-making and improving coordination between units through communications, surveillance, positioning and time synchronization capabilities.
Görgün also noted modern conflicts increasingly favor munitions and platforms that can be produced quickly, replaced easily and deployed at lower cost. That, he said, has elevated the importance of serial production, continuity in manufacturing, stock planning, storage infrastructure and logistics architecture.
“Today’s defense industry architecture is shaped by real-time feedback from the field,” he stressed, adding that Türkiye’s gains in the sector stem from the strong link it has built between operational requirements and industrial production.
He described the strengthening of domestic and national capabilities as vital to national security and said Roketsan’s resilience through its supplier ecosystem had become an example for the wider sector.
Ikinci, speaking at the same summit, said Roketsan had reached a domestic sourcing level of 92%, helping insulate the company from global supply-chain shocks that have disrupted defense and civilian industries alike.
“We are affected by disruptions in the global supply chain,” Ikinci said. “But because we operate with a domestic value-added ratio above 90%, we are less affected than some other stakeholders or competitors.”
He said the company was continuing to invest heavily in alternative supply sources and local production to build a fully independent defense industrial base.
“The supply chain has taken a very serious blow right now,” Ikinci said. “There is difficulty across all industries in the world. But even in this environment, our ability to continue production is a major advantage for us.”
He said Türkiye’s broader defense ecosystem now meets much of the country’s military requirements domestically, describing the country as a stabilizing force in a volatile region.
He stated that Turkish authorities had launched a series of initiatives aimed at making companies more visible, effective and sustainable, including measures to increase the role of small and medium-sized enterprises, support financial stability, ease access to funding and assist firms in export agreements and contracts.
Expectations in Turkish defense
Moreover, Ikinci also drew attention to Roketsan reinvesting its revenue into infrastructure and serial production capacity, and he signaled that more announcements on expansion plans would be made public soon.
“Roketsan is investing all the money it earns into its infrastructure to increase serial production capacity,” he said.
He said the capacity increases would be seen across a wide range of missile systems, including the Tayfun ballistic missile, the SOM cruise missile, the Atmaca anti-ship missile, and the Siper and Hisar air defense systems.
Asked about the Siper-2 air defense missile, Ikinci said development work was continuing and that the system was expected to move toward serial production. He stated that Siper-2, designed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye’s defense research arm, TÜBITAK SAGE, would be among the most advanced missiles in the Siper family, with Roketsan expected to take part in production as an industrial partner.
He added that Turkish efforts to strengthen air defense capabilities were not limited to Siper and included all elements of the Steel Dome air defense concept, as well as the Hisar and Sungur families and other next-generation missile programs.
Ikinci said existing systems would continue to gain new sensors and added capabilities, and that new members would join the Siper family in the future.
Alongside Görgün and Ikinci, the event was attended by Roketsan Chairman Faruk Yiğit and a broad group of sector representatives, suppliers and experts.
The event continued with panel discussions featuring Olcay Elmalı Meço, director at Roketsan in charge of advanced materials and manufacturing technologies developments; Irfan Durmuş, director of the Rare Earth Elements Application and Research Center (MUNTEAM); Celal Erbay of the National Intelligence Academy; Saruhan Saklar of Türkiye’s General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration; Murat Eskici, Roketsan’s supply chain director; Aziz Meydan, chairperson of the board of HMS Machining company; Şenay Idil, general manager of Alp Aviation; and Ali Rıza Alptekin, head of the Defense and Aviation Group at Kale Group.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez discussed bilateral relations and global developments during talks in Istanbul on Monday, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
During the meeting, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue to stand by the people of Venezuela and underscored Ankara’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Caracas across a range of sectors, particularly trade, energy and mining.
The leaders also reviewed steps aimed at reaching the two countries’ shared goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to $3 billion, while exchanging views on regional and international developments.
Rodriguez, who is visiting Türkiye at Erdoğan’s invitation, was received with an official ceremony before the leaders moved on to one-on-one and delegation-level meetings.
The talks were attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
The meeting brought together senior officials from both countries as Türkiye and Venezuela continue efforts to strengthen cooperation and deepen bilateral ties.
Türkiye on Monday welcomed the successful completion of Armenia’s parliamentary election and expressed hope that the post-election period would create conditions conducive to the signing of a final peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it was pleased that the election had been conducted peacefully and wished the results to be beneficial for the Armenian people.
The ministry voiced hope that developments following the vote would pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a step seen as critical for lasting stability in the South Caucasus.
Türkiye will continue to support regional peace, stability and prosperity on the basis of the shared interests of countries in the region, the statement said.
According to preliminary results, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party secured an outright parliamentary majority, winning 61 of the legislature’s 105 seats with nearly 50% of the vote.
Official election results are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Monday strongly criticized a newly signed defense agreement between the Greek Cypriot administration and France, warning that the deal ignores the realities on the island and risks fueling tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by French and Greek Cypriot defense officials was a unilateral move that disregards the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people and the political realities of Cyprus.
“The agreement ignores the current realities of the island, fundamental principles of international law and the delicate balance that must be preserved in the region,” Üstel said in a statement.
He argued that the deal would create a legal framework for a more permanent presence of foreign military personnel on the island and accused the Greek Cypriot administration of pursuing policies that could transform Cyprus into a hub for foreign military deployments.
Üstel also criticized Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, saying his administration had systematically expanded military and strategic partnerships since taking office, a trend he described as harmful to both Cyprus and wider Eastern Mediterranean security.
The TRNC prime minister warned that efforts to increase France’s military footprint in the region could undermine the fragile balance in the Eastern Mediterranean and deepen regional polarization.
He said the agreement comes at a sensitive time when diplomatic efforts are underway to promote dialogue on the island, including contacts led by the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy.
Reaffirming the Turkish Cypriot position, Üstel said a lasting settlement, sustainable stability and genuine peace on the island could only be achieved through recognition of the sovereign equality of the two peoples and the equal international status of the two states.
He also stressed that no initiative targeting the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people and Türkiye would succeed, while calling on the international community to respect the realities on the island and adhere to international law.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in the western city of Izmir issued detention warrants for 78 suspects linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) on Tuesday. The warrants were part of an investigation into the group’s “education network,” authorities said.
The terrorist group orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded. Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Türkiye has targeted its active members and sleeper cells nonstop, and its influence has been much reduced since 2016. However, the group maintains a vast network, including infiltrators suspected to be still operating within Turkish institutions.
FETÖ backers in army ranks and civil institutions have disguised their loyalty, as operations and investigations have indicated since the 2016 coup attempt. FETÖ is also implicated in a string of cases related to its alleged plots to imprison its critics, money laundering, fraud and forgery.
The terrorist group faces operations almost daily as investigators still try to unravel their massive network of infiltrators everywhere.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit in Sofia on June 10, where regional leaders are expected to discuss cooperation, security and economic development across the Balkans, Foreign Ministry sources said.
The summit, hosted by Bulgaria under the theme “Strengthening Regional Unity for a Stable, Secure and Sustainable Future: Reflections on 30 Years of Partnership and Progress,” will bring together heads of state and government, foreign ministers from 13 participating countries and the secretary-general of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the operational arm of the SEECP.
A summit declaration is expected to be adopted at the conclusion of the meeting.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan is expected to reaffirm Türkiye’s support for enhancing regional cooperation based on the principles of regional ownership and inclusivity. He is also expected to emphasize Ankara’s commitment to the SEECP, describing the platform as one of the most important mechanisms for political dialogue in the Balkans.
Fidan is anticipated to underline the strategic significance of the Balkans not only for regional stability but also for the security of a broader geographic area.
He is expected to stress that strengthening good-neighborly relations remains a shared responsibility and highlight Türkiye’s efforts to promote dialogue and cooperation through initiatives such as the Balkan Peace Platform.
The Turkish foreign minister is also expected to call for stronger transportation and energy connectivity across the region, arguing that deeper integration would help unlock the Balkans’ economic and strategic potential while contributing to prosperity and sustainable development.
Fidan is expected to reiterate Türkiye’s support for diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in the Russia-Ukraine war and emphasize the importance of maintaining dialogue between Iran and the United States and preventing renewed regional tensions.
The SEECP was established in 1996 and remains the only regional cooperation platform that includes all Balkan countries.
Romania is scheduled to assume the bloc’s rotating chairmanship from Bulgaria on July 1.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Monday announced the start of the party’s congress process and urged members to stand united ahead of a parliamentary group meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Kılıçdaroğlu said the main opposition party would formally launch its congress process with its first Party Assembly meeting on Thursday, June 11.
In a statement shared on social media, the CHP leader emphasized unity within the party, describing its members as a large family brought together by a common purpose despite differing views.
“We are not rivals to one another. We are the sons and daughters of the Republican People’s Party walking shoulder to shoulder,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
He reiterated the party’s goals of strengthening democracy and justice in Türkiye during the second century of the republic and called on party members to demonstrate solidarity throughout the congress process.
Kılıçdaroğlu also invited CHP members to attend Tuesday’s parliamentary group meeting with a spirit of unity, urging them to remain connected through what he described as common sense and comradeship.
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