Politics
Turkish defense industry head promotes Türkiye as reliable NATO partner
Haluk Görgün, president of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), which oversees the flourishing sector, said Türkiye was a reliable and strategic partner for NATO and contributes to the alliance not only through its strategic alignment but also through indigenous capability development and technological innovations.
“Even before NATO membership, Türkiye has been a part of European defense since the Vienna Congress in 1815,” Görgün said after the adoption of the Security Action for Europe (SAFE).
On Tuesday, the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation setting up the SAFE, a new financial instrument worth 150 billion euros ($169.69 billion) for the union that will support those member states that wish to invest in the defense industry.
Görgün told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday that the SSB is currently conducting more than 1,100 active procurement and research and development (R&D) programs, adding: “In terms of the size and diversity of the program portfolio, we are the largest defense industry program management authority in the world.”
Touching on the country’s export success in the defense industry, Görgün said, “Türkiye has crossed an important threshold by reaching $7 billion in defense and aerospace exports in 2024.
“Of this total, 55.4% was realized to NATO allies and Ukraine. The fact that 10 of the top 20 countries are NATO countries and Ukraine clearly shows that Türkiye is a reliable and strategic partner.”
“Today, I would like to proudly state that the Turkish defense industry is the 11th largest exporter in the world and that approximately 75% of the systems we produce, including deliveries to the Turkish Armed Forces, are used by NATO forces,” he explained.
He said Türkiye’s production capabilities serve not only national defense, but also allied countries with sustainable solutions in accordance with NATO standards.
“We are ready to serve NATO with our production capacity, thousands of different NATO-standard systems and the dynamism of the Turkish defense industry family, whose average age is 34,” he added.
Emphasizing that Türkiye has cooperation in the defense industry not only within the framework of NATO, but also with European countries on a bilateral level, he reminded that Türkiye took part in the production of the A400M transport aircraft, one of the symbol projects of Europe’s goal of achieving independent operational capability, together with six European countries.
“Considering our status as a candidate country of the EU, we hope that the SAFE instrument will further deepen the defense industry cooperation between the EU and our country,” he said.
The SSB head said preparations for the NATO summit, which Türkiye will host in 2026, are continuing meticulously. “We believe that this summit is of strategic importance both to show the world our strong ties with NATO and to demonstrate our level of development in our defense industry.”
A few months before a critical NATO summit, the alliance’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte, arrived in Ankara on Tuesday.
Rutte began his visit with a meeting with Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, before proceeding with a visit to Aselsan, the country’s leading defense company, on Thursday. He later held talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Rutte had nothing but pleasant words for Türkiye in terms of defense. He said the bloc’s members “can learn a lot” from Türkiye’s defense industry revolution in remarks to journalists while visiting Aselsan.
The NATO chief had no scheduled news conference, but media outlets reported that he was set to discuss several pressing issues with the Turkish officials. Among them were the invitation of the Gulf countries to July’s NATO summit in Ankara and bolstering regional cooperation, to enhance the bloc’s clout. The invitation to the Gulf comes after several countries in the region suffered from attacks by Iran in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. Another issue on the table was attendance at the summit by U.S. President Donald Trump, whose remarks on the alliance marked a major fallout between his country and the alliance it led. Rutte’s meeting will also focus on Türkiye’s acquisition of F-35 fighter jets from the U.S., long stalled under the previous U.S. administration. Additionally, Rutte’s talks will concentrate on the establishment of a multinational structure led by France and the United Kingdom for the security of the Strait of Hormuz and Türkiye’s likely participation in the structure.
Rutte will also discuss the dispute between Türkiye and Greece, especially on maritime jurisdiction, the Cyprus question and improving the role of Turkish defense companies in Europe’s security architecture, media outlets reported on Tuesday.
Speaking at the headquarters of Aselsan, Rutte said there is “a lot” the sector can learn from what the country has achieved, pointing to its rapid advances in recent years. He stressed that accelerating defense industrial production alongside innovation is a “top priority” for NATO, adding that both issues will be central at the alliance’s summit in July.
He said NATO allies must “do better” and “do more,” underlining that increased defense spending alone would not ensure security without boosting output of key capabilities such as air defense systems, drones, ammunition, radars and space technologies. “Of course, we will celebrate that we are able collectively to increase the defense spending, but defense industrial production will be extremely important, because we have to do better, we have to do more, and we can learn a lot from what Türkiye is doing here,” he said.
Describing the global security environment as increasingly volatile, he pointed to a wide range of threats “from the Arctic to the Mediterranean, from outer space to the seabed,” including missile and drone attacks as well as sophisticated cyber threats.
He cited Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, China’s military modernization and nuclear expansion, and Iran’s activities in the region “as key sources of instability,” noting that Türkiye is directly affected by some of these risks.
Rutte also said NATO had recently intercepted ballistic missiles heading toward Türkiye from Iran on four separate occasions, underscoring the alliance’s readiness to defend all its members.
Reiterating his earlier remarks, he said Türkiye has gone through a “defense industrial revolution,” adding that Aselsan is “at the forefront” of these developments. He urged the defense firm to “produce and innovate even more and faster.”
He emphasized the role of the defense industry in ensuring collective security, saying that protecting “1 billion people across Europe and North America” cannot be achieved by militaries alone. It also requires strong industrial capacity, he said. Rutte highlighted growing defense cooperation across the alliance, noting that Turkish firms are expanding their footprint abroad, including exports and operations in several European countries, and called for continued collaboration “from Alaska to Ankara.”
“Just recently, as you know, Aselsan sold advanced electronic warfare systems to Poland. You have started operations in Albania and Romania, and you have equipped a vessel for the Croatian Navy,” Rutte said. He also drew attention to the role of young engineers, noting that the average age at Aselsan is around 33 – and possibly even lower. “So I’m glad to address you, the young engineers who make all of this possible,” he added.
Aselsan, headquartered in the Turkish capital Ankara, was founded in 1975 and has grown to be one of the country’s largest defense firms, ranking among the top 50 in its field worldwide. The defense giant became the first Turkish company to reach a $30 billion market value in January 2026.
Türkiye is preparing a sweeping overhaul of social media regulations that would require users to verify their identities through the e-Government (e-Devlet) system before accessing major platforms, in a move officials say will increase transparency and curb online crime, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said.
The minister said the draft legislation, described by authorities as a world first, would apply to platforms with more than 1 million daily users in Türkiye, including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X.
Speaking to Abdurrahman Şimşek and Halit Turan of Sabah newspaper, Gürlek said the regulation aims to create a safer and more accountable digital environment by preventing users from hiding behind anonymity.
“Digital chaos is growing, and this regulation has become a necessity,” he noted, pointing to the rise of disinformation, online fraud, illegal betting and cyberbullying.
Under the proposed system, users opening accounts on social media platforms would be redirected to the e-Government portal, where their identities would be verified. Instead of sharing personal data directly with the platforms, the system would generate a unique, user-specific digital key confirming the verification.
Authorities say personal identity information would not be transferred to social media companies but would be stored by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK).
Officials said the draft was prepared in coordination with multiple institutions, including the communications directorate, BTK authority and cybersecurity bodies, and has already been presented to the Cabinet.
The rollout is expected to take place over a nine-month period. In the first phase, regulations and technical infrastructure will be developed. Platforms will then be required to integrate the system, followed by a final phase in which existing users must comply with the new verification rules.
Authorities say companies that fail to meet the requirements could face escalating penalties, including administrative fines of up to 3% of their global turnover, advertising bans and bandwidth restrictions ranging from 50% to 90%.
Platforms may also be required to provide verified identity information of users involved in criminal investigations within 30 days upon request from judicial authorities.
The government says the system is designed to prevent the proliferation of fake and bot accounts and ensure that only real individuals can register on social media platforms.
Officials note that similar identity verification mechanisms are already used in certain online services in Türkiye, such as e-commerce platforms.
Parliament to take steps
Nazım Elmas, head of Parliament’s Digital Platforms Commission, said companies that fail to cooperate with state requirements could face additional regulatory responses. He added that the broader legislative package also includes measures related to digital platforms and social services.
Elmas said the initiative is part of a wider effort to address risks posed by rapidly evolving technologies, particularly for children and young users.
“This regulation alone may not solve all problems, but it is an important starting point,” he stressed.
He also noted that content initially presented as harmless such as games and applications can later be redirected toward more problematic areas driven by commercial interests, at times exposing children to harmful situations.
Members of the European Parliament criticized on Wednesday remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggesting that Europe should not fall under the influence of Russia, Türkiye or China, calling the comments misleading and divisive.
Lawmakers from the Left Group in the European Parliament, including Belgian members Rudi Kennes and Marc Botenga, said the statement risks reinforcing unnecessary geopolitical polarization.
Botenga described the remarks as “both inaccurate and very strange,” emphasizing that Türkiye is not only a NATO ally but also maintains multifaceted relations with the European Union.
“Türkiye is still officially a candidate country for EU membership,” he noted.
He argued that the broader issue lies in what he characterized as a worldview that divides the globe into opposing camps. “These kinds of statements serve to split the world into ‘us’ and ‘others,’ as if there were some kind of purity test, and as if there were an intention to control the rest of the continent,” Botenga said.
Von der Leyen made the comments during a speech at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the German newspaper Die Zeit in Hamburg, where she reiterated support for EU enlargement and called for a more geopolitical approach.
Responding to her call for Europe to “complete its unity,” Botenga said the continent is already interconnected but not fully represented by the EU. He also warned that framing international relations as “friends versus enemies” poses significant risks for global stability.
The European Commission said Tuesday that Türkiye is “unquestionably an important partner” in the region, both economically and politically, following comments by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that grouped Türkiye alongside Russia and China as influential actors.
A Commission spokesperson stressed Ankara’s strategic role and significance for Europe, underscoring ongoing cooperation despite recent debate over von der Leyen’s characterization.
“Türkiye’s mention was a recognition of its geopolitical clout, size and ambitions, not least in the Western Balkans, and not meant as a comparison with any other country,” the Commission spokesperson told Anadolu Agency (AA) in response to a question about von der Leyen’s remarks.
Speaking at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the newspaper Die Zeit in Hamburg on Monday, von der Leyen mentioned her support for EU enlargement and said: “We must succeed in completing the European continent so that it is not influenced by Russia, Türkiye, or China.”
“Türkiye is unquestionably an important partner in the region both economically and politically, including in strategic areas such as the Connectivity Agenda, with the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor where Türkiye is a key anchor in the region, and on migration management where Türkiye is a long-standing partner,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added: “Türkiye is also an important NATO ally and EU candidate country, and as such, a key interlocutor.”
The Turkish Defense Ministry on Wednesday highlighted Ankara’s adherence to the principle of “One Army, One Libya” after a landmark military exercise in the North African country.
“Türkiye supports the peaceful, stable existence of Libya, whose east and west act in unity,” the ministry said.
Ankara has long been a supporter of internationally recognized western administration in Libya but courted the east in recent years in its bid to support stability in the country, which still lacks unity.
Forces from the east and west-based administrations were joined by military elements from Türkiye and the U.S. earlier this month for exercises in Sirte in the first such joint event since 2014. That year, Libya was divided between forces that took part in the ouster of the Moammar Gadhafi regime. Tensions have cooled considerably since then, and the two sides recently agreed to the first unified budget in more than a decade to determine how to spend the billions of dollars of oil revenues the country earns each year. The “Flintlock” special operations exercises, run by the United States Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, included forces from both the military commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and the U.N.-recognized Government of National Unity, which is based in Tripoli.
The Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the Flintlock exercises demonstrated strong support by participating countries to Libya’s sovereignty and independence and contributed to the country’s ability for joint operations. The ministry also highlighted that their priority was preservation of stability, calm and balance based on the broadest dialogue and compromise in Libya.
The ministry said Türkiye always supported United Nations-led processes in Libya and maintained contacts with “all sides.” It noted Türkiye trained more than 23,000 Libyan military personnel, both in Türkiye and Libya, and was continuing to support Libya in several fields, from demining to defusal of unexploded ordnance, counterterrorism, the fight against irregular migration and smuggling.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will embark on a two-day official visit to the U.K. on Thursday.
Fidan’s visit will focus on talks on the wars in Iran and Ukraine, a Turkish diplomatic source said Wednesday, adding that he will also discuss cooperation between the NATO allies.
Türkiye, which neighbors Iran and is in close contact with Tehran, Washington and mediator Pakistan, hosted a diplomacy forum over the weekend attended by delegations from all sides. It has repeatedly called for an end to the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier that he would indefinitely extend the cease-fire with Iran to allow for further peace talks.
Fidan’s visit comes as the British government said military planners from more than 30 countries would hold two-day talks in London from Wednesday to advance a mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. More than a dozen countries said last week they were willing to join an international mission, led by Britain and France, to protect shipping in the strait when conditions permit. Fidan has warned of difficulties with such a mission.
During his two-day visit, Fidan will also repeat Türkiye’s readiness to contribute to efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the source said, after Kyiv said on Wednesday it had asked Türkiye to host a leaders’ level meeting with Russia. He will also convey Ankara’s request to finalize a free trade agreement with Britain and emphasize the importance of deepening defense industry and energy cooperation between the allies, the source added.
The minister will meet U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, members of the U.K. Parliament and other officials. During his visit to London, diplomatic sources say, Fidan is also expected to deliver remarks at an event hosted by the University of Oxford Global History Centre and the Global Order Program and meet with members of the Turkish community and business representatives living in the U.K.
The sources said Fidan is expected to express satisfaction with the positive trajectory of relations between Türkiye and the U.K. and discuss joint efforts to expand existing cooperation and deepen ties in a multidimensional manner.
He will likely also emphasize the importance of completing negotiations to update the current free trade agreement to increase bilateral trade volume. Fidan is expected to emphasize that the nearly 500,000-strong Turkish community in the U.K. represents one of the most important elements strengthening human, cultural and economic ties between the two countries. Diplomatic sources say the foreign minister is likely to raise concerns about delays in the processing of indefinite residency applications for Turkish citizens and convey expectations for swift action to address the issue. The talks are also expected to underscore the strong political will to enhance defense industry cooperation and deepen collaboration in the energy sector, including nuclear and renewable energy. During the talks, Fidan will stress the importance of EU security and defense initiatives being conducted in close coordination with NATO, according to the sources.
Fidan is anticipated to also emphasize the need for a principled, determined, and unified international stance against Israel’s actions undermining the Gaza cease-fire and two-state solution prospects, as well as the importance of keeping the humanitarian situation in Palestine at the forefront of the international agenda and the critical importance of encouraging initiatives that promote long-term stability and reconstruction in Syria.
The visit follows recent high-level contacts between the two countries.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Türkiye on Oct. 27, 2025, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and agreements were signed finalizing Türkiye’s procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
Fidan last visited London on Oct. 30, 2024, and attended a Ukraine-focused meeting hosted by the U.K. in London on March 2-3 of last year. He also met with Cooper on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum last Saturday.
The U.K. remains one of Türkiye’s leading trade partners. Bilateral trade volume reached $26 billion in 2025, with both sides aiming to increase it to $30 billion, diplomatic sources said.
The U.K. became Türkiye’s second-largest export market in 2025 and remained among the top three in foreign investment and tourism. Between 2002 and 2025, British investments in Türkiye reached $14.5 billion, while Turkish investments in the U.K. totaled $3.5 billion. In 2025, 4.3 million tourists from the U.K. visited Türkiye.
Negotiations to expand the scope of the current free trade agreement between the two countries are ongoing, with completion targeted in 2026, according to diplomatic sources.
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