The head of Türkiye’s Defense Industries Secretariat on Tuesday said the Turkish defense industry’s speed, agility, and ability to scale up have gained significant awareness within NATO, even at the very highest level.
Attending a NATO summit in The Hague, Haluk Görgün told Anadolu Agency (AA): "The agility in production, production speed, and capacity expansion agility (in the Turkish defense industry) has sown high-level awareness at NATO, at the secretary general level, especially considering the current global context."
Görgün noted that Turkish defense companies have actively participated in NATO summits for the past two years, with the secretariat establishing a dedicated unit to enhance their involvement and visibility in NATO activities.
The secretariat has been actively involved in all NATO working groups, leading some such as the supply chain security sub-group, and continues to encourage Turkish companies' participation in joint projects and procurement processes.
"By establishing a NATO-related unit at the secretariat, we are trying to ensure that our companies are more involved in NATO activities, while also increasing our visibility on the NATO side," he said.
Highlighting the progress achieved under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leadership over the past two decades, Görgün said Türkiye now produces its own defense platforms and subsystems, which has further boosted production agility.
He also said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has acknowledged this growing awareness in his recent statements at the summit.
"Türkiye's growing production capacity and infrastructure have been recognized in recent NATO invitations for Turkish firms to join key working groups. For example, Aselsan was recently invited to a NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) working group focused on air defense architecture," he said.
Görgün stressed that the number of NATO contracts awarded to Turkish companies is rising, reflecting the alliance's confidence in Türkiye's dynamic and agile defense industry.
Görgün, who is set to take part as a speaker in several summit events, reiterated Türkiye's commitment to contributing more effectively within NATO through its production agility and capabilities.
"We are committed to showcasing our production capabilities, speed, and the opportunities available in Türkiye. I hope this summit will be beneficial to all NATO members and our allies,” he said.
Türkiye, boasting NATO’s second-largest army, has been a member of the alliance for over 70 years.
The two-day NATO summit in The Hague is due to conclude on Wednesday.
