By Anadolu Agency
July 9, 2026 2:56 pmISTANBUL
Senior Turkish and US officials and leading defense industry representatives met in Ankara to discuss ways to deepen cooperation in defense production, supply chains and advanced technologies, the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEIK) said Thursday.
The Türkiye-US Defense Industry Cooperation Roundtable was organized on July 7 on the sidelines of the 36th NATO summit by DEIK’s Türkiye-US Business Council (TAIK), AmCham Türkiye and the American Turkish Business Roundtable (ATBR).
The meeting brought together Turkish Deputy Defense Minister Salih Ayhan, US Department of Defense Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment (USW-A&S) Michael P. Duffey, DEIK President Nail Olpak, TAIK Chair Murat Ozyegin, AmCham Türkiye Chair Emre Karter, ATBR Chair Gen. James Jones, and representatives from Turkish and American defense companies.
The sponsors of the meeting included Lockheed Martin, Alp Aviation, Canik, Havelsan, Kale Aerospace and TEI.
Participants said the constructive and strategic approach that has recently gained momentum in Türkiye-US relations is also contributing to economic and commercial cooperation between the two allies.
They underlined that sustainable partnerships in strategic sectors such as defense industry and advanced technology could strengthen the economic and industrial dimension of bilateral ties.
The meeting focused on joint design, development and production, supply chain integration, joint projects in third countries and cooperation in next-generation technologies.
Participants also said high-level dialogue between Türkiye and the US could pave the way for new partnerships in high-value-added sectors, particularly defense, and support the bilateral trade volume target of $100 billion set by the two countries’ leaders in 2019.
Ayhan said the constructive dialogue between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump has brought new momentum to Türkiye-US relations, adding that the strategic partnership contributes not only to the interests of both countries but also to NATO’s deterrence and common security architecture.
He said the defense industry is one of the strongest pillars of the strategic partnership between Ankara and Washington.
Türkiye’s defense industry has become a strong production and technology ecosystem globally, with a domestic production rate above 80%, more than 3,500 companies and over 100,000 qualified employees, Ayhan said.
He added that Türkiye is ready to advance cooperation with American companies in joint production, research and development, and advanced technologies.
Ayhan stressed that removing barriers to bilateral defense industry and trade cooperation is critical to fully realizing this potential, saying that reducing regulatory restrictions and opening the way for mutual trade would create new opportunities for the future of Türkiye-US relations.
Duffey said the meeting came at a critical time for allied cooperation and common security.
He said ongoing conflicts and the changing security environment have renewed the need for an integrated transatlantic defense and defense industrial base.
The main challenge for allies is speed and scale, Duffey said, stressing that critical capabilities must be produced faster and delivered to the field without delay.
He also said bureaucratic delays, production gaps and supply chain bottlenecks are no longer ordinary obstacles but strategic vulnerabilities.
Duffey called on industry representatives to take a stronger role, share regulatory and supply chain problems with authorities, invest in expanding production capacity and help strengthen supply chain resilience.
Olpak said rising global security needs are creating major opportunities for deeper cooperation in defense procurement, industrial capacity and sustainment.
He said combining Türkiye’s advanced manufacturing capabilities, agile production base and proven defense industry expertise with the technological leadership and supply needs of the American defense ecosystem would generate significant value.
Turkish defense firms have demonstrated their ability to rapidly scale production, provide reliable supply chain solutions, meet demanding military standards and develop products tailored to operational needs, Olpak said.
Ozyegin said defense and aerospace will be among the main drivers of the next growth phase in the Türkiye-US economic partnership.
He said Turkish and US industries are complementary rather than competitors, adding that steps in joint production, technology development, mutual investment and supply chain integration would strengthen not only bilateral economic ties but also the resilience and competitiveness of NATO’s industrial ecosystem.
Karter said there are significant opportunities between the two countries in defense technologies, industrial capabilities and investment, while Jones said Türkiye-US defense industry cooperation is strategically important for NATO’s defense capacity.
Jones added that continued engagement in the defense industry could open new opportunities for concrete cooperation and long-term partnerships between the two countries.
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