Over the last decade, Türkiye’s defense industry has developed rapidly, and its products have repeatedly proven their military capabilities. The rapid defeat of the Ukrainian army against Russia was largely prevented by the TB2 drone, which has become a global brand in Türkiye’s defense industry. Similarly, in Nagorno-Karabakh, the TB2 proved to be a game-changer in favor of Azerbaijan in the conflict with Armenia. In addition to Syria, it helped Türkiye become a geopolitical player in the conflicts between northern Iraq and Libya. At this point, TB2 has shown that it is not only a military platform but also the dominant player in Türkiye’s defense market, with Baykar alone accounting for $1.7 billion (TL 54.6 billion) of Türkiye’s exports in 2023. However, the TB2 is only the most visible sign of a new era for Türkiye’s defense policy.
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In his addresses on the occasion of the Aug. 30 Victory Day, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan frequently underscored the imperative of bolstering Türkiye’s military prowess, emphasizing that this stance is not a mere option but a necessity. He avered: “Our bitter experiences have taught us that a robust Türkiye hinges on a strong military. Enhancing the deterrent capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is not a choice; it’s a necessity for our nation.” While historically, the discourse “strong army, strong Türkiye” was largely employed within the context of Kemalist military narrative to establish the TSK’s supremacy over Turkish politics and reinforce its superior position over political matters, Erdoğan reinterprets it as a pivotal component of a more expansive political narrative.
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The quantification of fronts began to attract interest in the late twentieth century with the development of new concepts like the electronic order of battle, electronic warfare, information warfare and network-centered operations.
This report sheds light on the key aspects of EW by focusing on global trends and analyzing Turkish capabilities.
This analysis initially provides a basic scope for the Asia Anew Initiative, which has been followed with interest due to the fact that it has not yet published a policy document. Again, it examines the aims of Asia, its contributions to international politics, its differences from the strategies toward Asia produced by different actors, and its relationship with the basic dynamics of Turkish foreign policy. Secondly, it analyzes the strategic fit between the Asia Anew Initiative and the Turkish defense industry by examining the sector successes realized in parallel with the interest of the Turkish defense industry in the Southeast Asian region, which is one of the sub-regions focused on by the Asia Anew Initiative.
For a better understanding of Turkey-Africa relations, we have asked experts to analyze different dimensions such as education, economy, diplomacy, and defense. At the same time, we have touched upon the importance of the ongoing Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit.
Through a wide range of articles and commentaries, this issue aims to bring to its readers a comprehensive framework on the transformation of Turkey’s Defense Industry and changing patterns of its military strategy.
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Turkey’s discovery of natural gas in the Black Sea looks to remain a hot topic for the foreseeable future.
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The Pentagon removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's earlier comments about Ankara being treated unfairly over its move to purchase the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. That Congress favored Turkey's removal was no secret either. It remains to be seen whether the United States will levy sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Turkey's decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense system has become a major sticking point with the U.S. While Turkey attaches great importance to procuring the air defense system, U.S. policymakers, who consider Turkey's decision a complete deviation from its traditional alliance system, have begun to threaten the country.
This book elaborates on the nationalization of the Turkish defense industry since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Washington's move to pressure Turkey on the S-400 deal by talking about its NATO membership is not only a serious mistake but also damaging NATO itself