Türkiye stands ready to be one of the main forces behind the industrial transformation NATO needs, Haluk Görgün, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) said Tuesday.
Görgün's remarks came at the opening of the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Ankara ahead of a gathering of the alliance's leaders in the Turkish capital.
The focus of the summit is a stronger Europe for a stronger NATO. The Trump administration has warned the allies that they must handle Europe's security alone as the United States focuses on China and the Indo-Pacific region.
"The Turkish defense industry is ready to be one of the driving forces behind the industrial transformation that NATO requires," Görgün said.
Serious upheavals, wars, and security challenges across nearly every region of the world over the past three years have reshaped the global defense environment, he noted.
"What is certain is that we have very little time, that we must strengthen our industrial capacity, and that no single country can shoulder this burden alone," Görgün added.
He said the forum was the "centerpiece" of this year's summit, reflecting a growing understanding of the defense industry's importance for the future of NATO allies.
He said NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's decision to make defense industrial capacity a priority gave the forum special significance.
"Another factor that makes this forum truly unique is that it is being held in Türkiye," he added, stressing the country's unprecedented growth in the defense industry over the recent years.
Görgün said Türkiye planned the forum in close cooperation with the NATO Secretariat, adding that this year's participant profile had reached "the highest level in terms of both content and quantity."
He also urged participants to view the capability demonstrations at the forum.
"I especially recommend that you do not miss the opportunity to get to know the Kızılelma up close," referring to an unmanned combat fighter jet developed by Turkish defense firm Baykar.
Görgün told how NATO announced its Defense Production Action Plan at NATO's 2023 Vilnius summit, agreed on the Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge at the 2024 Washington summit, and committed last year at The Hague to allocate 5% of its GDP to defense spending.
He said these steps showed the alliance's growing consensus for industrial expansion.
"These goals will only become realistic if NATO members act in unison," he said.
Görgün underlined that the Turkish defense industry offers highly mature solutions in key areas on NATO's agenda, including armed unmanned aerial vehicles, deep strike, space technologies, air defense, and countering drone threats.
"In fact, NATO forces are already successfully using our products in the field," he said.
He pointed to Türkiye's modern jet trainer Hürjet aircraft cooperation with Spain, electronic warfare and border security infrastructure partnership in Poland, and efforts to strengthen the land and naval inventories of Romania, Hungary, and Estonia.
Görgün also cited work to enhance the transatlantic resilience of the Bayraktar TB2 fleet deployed in Poland.
"The same UAVs gave Ukrainians psychological superiority on the battlefield" from the first days of the war in 2022, he said.
Türkiye has also provided continuous support through advanced air defense systems, munitions, and armored vehicles, he added.
Görgün said Ankara wants to bring these capabilities to new initiatives under the NATO umbrella.
"We view such collaborations from a strategic perspective," he said.
