Turkiye under the dynamic, dedicated, visionary, honest and sincere leadership of Tayyip Erdogan emerged as a regional power, a staunch supporter for the cause of Muslim Ummah and Global peace. In fastly global changing scenario, Turkiye has immense importance and no country can afford to ignore it. Turkish leadership has great sense of patriotism and Turkish people love, admire and support their leadership.
Turkiye had a big achievement on 18th July,2023 when Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed agreements encompassing investment, the defense industry, energy, and communications. Two memorandum of understanding in defense, in particular became the attention of observers and experts, including one with Turkiye’s Baykar Defense Industry Corporation, which will sell Riyadh an undisclosed number of state-of-the-art AKINCI Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs). ANKINCI is Turkiye’s cutting-edge UCAVs capable of executing air-to-ground and air attack missions. AKINCI entered the inventory in 2021 and only six have been introduced into service since, with a handful of countries close to Turkiye successfully acquiring it, including Pakistan. Turkish officials believe that, with AKINCI, Turkiye has become one of the top three countries in the world with this technology.
According to Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar, the deal was signed by Saudi Arabia to acquire Turkiye’s modern assault UCAVs is “the biggest defense and aviation export contract in the history of the Republic of Turkiye”. Commenting on the size of deal, the executive of the deal, the executive of the Defense Industry Agency of Turkiye, Haluk Gorgun said that the worth of the deal is more than US$ 3 billion. This include training, technical support, and logistic services. Moreover, the deal will comprise joint production and technology transfer, which Baykar noted” will not only strengthen the bond between the two countries but also would pave the way for strategic relations between the two countries.
Since the Justice and Development Part (AKP) came to power in 2002, Turkiye’s indigenous defence industry witnessed a revolution, which enabled the country to move from being the world’s third biggest receiver of weapons of the twelfth biggest arms exporter, according to Stockholm International Research Institute (SIPRI)figures. In less than two decades, Ankara significantly decreased its dependence on foreign military imports from around 80 percent in 2004 to about 20 percent in 2022. Its imports from the US dropped sharply by 81 percent between 2016 and 2020, primarily due to not receiving F-35 and not acquiring Patriot missiles. During this time, the indigenous defense industry sector kept growing despite obstacles, challenges and embargoes, thus enabling Turkiye to be categorized as an “Emerging producer” that aims to amplify production capabilities in aerial, naval, land, electronics and ammunition domains. In its report, SIPRI noted that Turkiye’s arms exports increased by sixty nine percent from 2018 to 2022 compared to 2013-2017, with a significant increase in the global arms trade. According to SIPRI, Turkiye’s share of the global arms market doubled during the same period to reach 1.1 percent of global arms export. The June report for Turkiye’s Defense and Aerospace Industry Manufacturers Association (SASAD) indicated an increase of over 20 percent in the revenue of the defense and aerospace industry sector in 2022 as compared to the previous year, reaching US$ 12.2 billion. Spearheaded by the mushrooming sales of its UCAVs specially the Baykar TB2 drones, Turkiye’s defense industry exports hit a record of more than US$ 4.4 billion in 2022, increasing by more than 36 percent as compared to 2021. Turkiye’s exports of land and naval platforms are gaining popularity, too. Last year the land and naval military platforms exports outperformed their aerial ones. Turkiye’s military export target for 2023 is US$ six billion and Turkish officials seem optimistic about not only reaching that number but also exceeding it by the end of this year.
Gulf countries interest in Turkish arms industry is increasing. Following the 2021 al Ula agreement, which ended the 2017 GCC crisis and blockade against Qatar, relations between Turkiye and UAE, Saudi Arabia improved significantly. Erdogan’s July tour inaugurated a new level of post-normalization period and strengthened ties between Turkiye and the Arab Gulf states, specially on economic and security levels. The GCC countries particularly Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are among the top military equipment importers in the world. Western military equipment particularly American and European hardware, dominates the Gulf defense market. During the last few years, more Russian and Chinese weapons have found their way to this market, albeit in a very small percentage. The Six GCC countries’ military expenditures exceeds US$ 100 billion. Given Turkey’s rising military profile and growing indigenous defense sector, Turkiye eyes a bigger share of GCC’s defense procurements in the future.
On 18th March, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu paid the first visit of its kinds to Cairo in a decade and this move reciprocated a recent visit by his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukri. Both sides agreed to enhance bilateral relations.
Another big success for Turkiye is the 16th International Defence Industry Fair 2023 (IDEF23) which was held between 25th to 28th July 2023, hosted by Turkish Ministry of National defence, supported by the presidency of the Republic of Turkiye Defence Industry Agency and under the management of Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and organized by TUYAP Fairs and Exhibition Organization Inc at TUYAP Fair Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul. IDEF International Defense Industry Companies exhibit their products, received a passage grade in 2021 from visitors and exhibitors. In this exhibition Land Mines, Naval Defense equipment, Aviation and Aerospace. Logistic Supports activities, security related products and services were exhibited. In this exhibition about 1,238 exhibitors’ companies from 53 countries, 68,795 professional visitors from 94 countries, 120,000 sqm exhibition area and buyers from 81 countries, two international organizations, 163 delegations, 614 delegation members participated and 4, 055 schedule meetings and 95 signatures ceremonies were commenced.
The 15th edition of IDEF was held on August, at the TUYAP Fair and Congress Centre Istanbul, by the Organization of TUYAP Fair and exhibition in which 1,238 companies, 537 national and 701 internationals from 53 countries, 614 delegation members from 81 countries and 2 international organizations participated. Also 4,055 official meetings/stand visits, 94 signing ceremonies, 7 panels presentations were realized. The exhibition was visited by 68,795 professionals from 94 countries.
Under the patronage of the Turkish Ministry of Defense, the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) takes place every two years at the Tuyap Fair Convention & Congress Center in Istanbul, now ranking as the fifth-largest defense trade show worldwide. Exhibits include vehicles, military equipment, training and simulation, as well as measures for transport and logistics support. Defense equipment of Turkish production is also gaining increasing importance. Strategically located at the junction between continents, Istanbul is an ideal location for hosting IDEF, particularly considering the political situation at Turkey's borders and the North African coastal regions.
The spacious Tuyap Fair Convention & Congress Center offered all the amenities and technical standards of a modern exhibition center. The organizer of IDEF is Tuyap Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc, this organization was responsible for planning, organizing, and conducting the fair in collaboration with relevant partners and authorities, including the Turkish Foundation for Defense Industries (SSM) and the Turkish Ministry of Defense. In summary, IDEF provided a vital platform for the global defense industry, taking place every two years in Istanbul. Here, new technologies and innovations were presented, and business contacts were established.
In a nut and shell Turkiye is a very important country not only in the region but in the world too. It has great potential to become a global power and its people and leadership is committed to take their country towards a new height and as an admirer of brother country Turkiye and its leader I pray Almighty Allah for its success.