The Defence Industry Executive Committee (Savunma Sanayii İcra Komitesi /SSİK) is held. The meeting, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussed new military systems for its armed forces.
The Turkish defence industry is targeted with embargos both overt and covert, Turkey’s Defence Industries Presidency (Savunma Sanayii Başkanı/SSB) said in a written statement.
Turkey will continue towards its goal of a fully independent defence industry with its determination to design, develop, and produce national and indigenous systems and technologies, the statement stressed. It continued, “As part of this, various projects on communication and information systems, ammunition and missiles, various platforms, modernization, and new technologies were decided on.”
Turkey is facing embargos due to different reasons. Turkey’s decision to acquire an S-400 air defence system resulted in US’ CAATSA sanctions. Before this decision, Turkey’s T-129 Attack helicopter export to Pakistan stayed on the waiting list. It was not possible to get the engine licence for Pakistan. It is widely known within the industry that many western companies are asked not to sell their products to Turkish companies. As a result, Turkey produces an equivalent product to keep the industry running.
In last year’s Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan sets an excellent example of such a policy. Armenia asked the Canadian company to suspend exports, claiming its technology was being used in the conflict. In response, Turkey integrates its own products to platforms.
Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank, the new member of SSİK, attended the meeting for the first time.
