One of Türkiye’s top business associations, the Independent Industrialists and Businesspersons Association (MÜSIAD), and leading Turkish defense company Aselsan on Friday has organized an ‘Industrialization Event’ to contribute to Aselsan's ecosystem and create the ground for new collaborations with domestic suppliers.
MÜSIAD Chairperson Mahmut Asmalı, delivering an opening speech at the 1st Aselsan-MÜSIAD Industrialization Event that was held at MÜSIAD headquarters in Istanbul said that Türkiye has further strengthened its strategic position with the defense industry breakthroughs it has made in recent years.
He said while the country has gained attention with the high-level technologies it has developed, it has gained the capacity to carry out all kinds of operations within and beyond its borders without any disruptions.
"NATO is the world's largest defense pact. As one of its leading members, we believe that as we develop our national defense industry, our contribution to regional and world peace will increase," he said.
Asmalı stressed that the Turkish defense industry is now in the top 100 list in the world, thanks to its main contractors, subcontractors with advanced capabilities, small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), research institutions, universities and its own unique products in a wide range.
"In particular, we have become a leading country in the design, production and sale of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)," he exemplified.
"In the defense industry, beyond meeting today's needs, investments are made in the technologies of the future, the vehicles of the future and the products of the future," Asmalı went on to say, noting that "ambitious projects" are being produced in the field of land, air and sea vehicles.
"We stand out with our domestic and national technologies in every field that will meet the needs of the future, such as herd UAVs, unmanned sea vehicles, unmanned warplanes, electromagnetic guns, laser weapons and satellite systems," Asmalı said.
"Undoubtedly," he said, these successes add strength to the construction of the "Century of Türkiye," a new vision document recently announced by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Aselsan Chairperson Haluk Görgün, also speaking at the opening of the event, reiterated that his company is one of the 50 largest defense industry companies in the world and has a competent and wide ecosystem.
"One of the biggest defense industry companies in the world, Aselsan closed last year with a turnover of TL 21 billion and placed orders worth over $2 billion in the last two years. Exporting to 80 countries, Aselsan continues to grow and develop, with nearly 10,000 employees and nearly 100 strategic partners," he said.
"Each of the products we develop and produce is a product of common sense and hard work with our valuable stakeholders," Görgün said, noting that Aselsan is one of the strongest technology and industrial companies in Türkiye in terms of its total supplier.
"Today, there are more than 3,000 suppliers in more than fifty cities in different regions of our country," Görgün added, and that they met about 70% of the orders with domestic suppliers.
The opening speeches of the Friday’s event was followed by B2B meetings between company and Aselsan representatives.