Turkish defense company ASELSAN can deliver many of its advanced radar and air defense systems to NATO allies in less than two years, its chief executive has said.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the 36th NATO Summit in Ankara, ASELSAN CEO Ahmet Akyol said Türkiye’s defense industry had reached a level that could make it one of the alliance’s main suppliers.
“From Ankara, we clearly declare that if orders are placed today, we can deliver many of our most complex radar and air defense systems to all allies in less than two years,” Akyol said.
His remarks came during a panel held under the “Allies in Ankara” program, organized in cooperation with Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, the Munich Security Conference and the SETA Foundation.
Akyol said Türkiye’s role in NATO had evolved from geography in what he called “NATO 1.0” to military power in “NATO 2.0.”
“In NATO 3.0, the new element is defense industry,” he said, adding that Türkiye now combines its geographic position, military strength and industrial capacity.
He said production capacity was one of ASELSAN’s main advantages at a time when NATO allies are seeking to turn higher defense budgets into concrete capabilities.
“Last year, one of our achievements was delivering 28 percent of our orders within the same year. This is the result of our industrial capacity,” Akyol said.
He said ASELSAN had increased its serial production capacity by 40 percent over the past two years and was building one of the world’s largest air defense infrastructures in Ankara with an investment exceeding $2 billion.
Akyol said the company also benefits from operational feedback from the field and from Türkiye’s wider defense ecosystem.
“This is not only the success of ASELSAN and Roketsan, but also of our ecosystem of more than 3,000 local firms that support us,” he said. “It is a capability of the Turkish defense industry.”
Akyol said European governments should consider open competition rather than closed competition in their long-term defense procurement strategies.
“Open competition will allow users to obtain higher-quality products at lower cost,” he said.
Roketsan CEO Murat İkinci also told the panel that Türkiye’s defense industry stands out not only for its technology but also for its supply chain.
İkinci said the Turkish defense industry works with more than 3,500 suppliers, while Roketsan cooperates with over 2,000 companies and exports to more than 50 countries.
