Greece Examines Turkey's Indigenous Defense Industry: Chasing European Nations

greece - The Greek newspaper Kathimerini delves into Turkey's advancements in the defense industry and its agreements with European countries.

The Greek newspaper Kathimerini has closely examined the strides made by Turkey in its indigenous defense industry and the agreements it has struck. The newspaper highlighted Turkey's defense industry agreements with European countries in an article titled 'Turkey: Defense Agreements Pursued by 'Willing' Europeans.'

Referring to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's speech before the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs on January 13, where he emphasized the importance of non-EU allies' participation in the EU's defense industry efforts for Europe's security, the newspaper raised the question of non-EU member countries, such as Turkey, being able to join the European Defence Industrial Program (EDIP) and whether the EU will prioritize investment in member states.

The newspaper mentioned Turkey's pursuit of new defense agreements with Europe, such as the Structured Permanent Cooperation (PESCO) and the sale of UAVs to Ukraine. Turkey is no longer seen as just a supplier by Europe but as a promising buyer of defense systems produced in Turkey.

The newspaper also detailed the countries in Europe that are purchasing weapons from Turkey and developing partnerships with the Turkish defense industry, with a special mention of Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the UK as promising buyers. According to analysts from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Italy and Spain are among the most eager countries to do more business with Turkey.

The gazette highlighted collaborations between Italy and Turkey in the production of the T-129 Atak helicopter, Turkish Coast Guard patrol boats, and Tulpar tanks. It also reported Italy's readiness to purchase laser-guided CİRİT missiles produced by Roketsan to equip its UAVs.

The newspaper further mentioned Turkey's collaboration with Germany in military shipbuilding and its acceptance into the German European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) aiming to strengthen European Air Defense.

The relationships between Turkey and the UK have improved, with the development of the 5th generation Turkish combat aircraft KAAN in partnership with British BAE Systems considered a milestone in Turkish-UK relations. The article also listed 10 European countries that have collaborated or intend to collaborate with Turkey on defense agreements.

From Romania, which will receive Baykar-produced Bayraktar TB2 UAVs and Otokar-produced Cobra armored vehicles, to Poland, which will import the Bayraktar TB2 UAV, and the Netherlands, which will import Aselsan-produced pedestal-mounted Stinger air defense systems from Turkey, the article detailed various collaborations and export plans. Other countries on the list include Estonia, Kosovo, Albania, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Hungary.