Türkiye, Saudi Arabia ready to deepen defense ties

ISTANBUL

Senior Turkish and Saudi Arabian officials attend the Türkiye-Saudi Arabia Defense Industry Days in Istanbul on Nov. 12 to expand cooperation.

Türkiye is ready to expand defense industry cooperation with Saudi Arabia, backed by over 1,400 projects and a $120 billion portfolio, the country’s top defense official said on Nov. 12.

The head of Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB), Haluk Görgün, spoke at the Türkiye-Saudi Arabia Defense Industry Days in Istanbul, organized by Türkiye’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), defense industry cluster SAHA Istanbul, and Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI).

Saudi Minister of State and Acting Governor of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) Bandar Al-Khorayef, Türkiye’s Deputy Industry and Technology Minister Çetin Ali Dönmez and Istanbul Governor Davut Gül also attended.

“With our nearly 4,500 defense SMEs, over 1,400 projects, a roughly $120 billion portfolio, and our president’s mandate, we are ready to take every step we can develop together,” Görgün said.

Görgün noted that Türkiye has built a strong defense ecosystem over the past 20 years under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and aims to co-develop its model with friendly nations.

He said Turkish officials held 75 meetings over the past 3.5 years with Saudi counterparts.

Görgün added that Turkish companies are conducting joint work with Saudi partners to support Riyadh’s Vision 2030 goal of localizing at least 50 percent of defense production.

He also noted that leading Turkish firms and Saudi officials have held meetings on prioritizing and establishing defense centers of excellence under Vision 2030.