Competition with Global Players in the Adaptation and Transformation Process of the Turkish Defense Industry

The defense industry, which has a very “complex” structure with its new business opportunities, potential investment areas, number, and diversity of stakeholders, operates in an environment where it interacts dynamically with many other sectors and fields. Today, this dynamic interaction takes place in the international arena, beyond national borders. Thus, the perspective of “international relations” appears as an indispensable dimension for the defense industry to be perceived holistically.

The defense industry is also an important factor that directly affects international relations and foreign policy. The concept of “national power” is one of the most frequently used tools in the analysis of international relations. One of the most important elements of national power is “military capacity” apart from economic, geographical, political, scientific, technological, demographic, psycho-social, and cultural capacity.

States, which are the most important actors in international politics, need to have armed forces equipped with modern weapon systems to protect national security and achieve their foreign policy goals. Besides international organizations and alliances, countries take care to establish a national defense industry and develop this industry as much as possible in the realization of foreign policy objectives. Thus, there is an intertwined network of relations between foreign policy and international relations, armed forces, and the defense industry.

Within this scope, we have compiled the details and results of our STM ThinkTech focus meeting on “Competition with Global Players in the Adaptation and Transformation of the Turkish Defense Industry” dated March 2, 2022, in which the transformation of the Turkish defense industry and the adaptation process between the past and the future is focused…