Turkey's Defense Industry Surge and Tech Initiatives Spotlighted Ahead of NATO Summit

President of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün told a Bursa business forum that Turkey’s defence export value has risen from about $250 million in 2002 to roughly $11 billion last year, and that the country can now achieve a year’s worth of exports within a single week. He highlighted the growth of organized industrial zones in Bursa, the expansion of the domestic defence supply chain and the goal of full self‑sufficiency across land, sea, air and space domains. Görgün said the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara will showcase Turkey’s production capacity and strategic relevance.

In parallel, Turkey announced an artificial‑intelligence action plan, accelerated funding for digital transformation and a rapid increase in fibre‑optic broadband subscriptions, reflecting broader technological ambitions.

These developments underscore Turkey’s push for greater strategic autonomy in defence while advancing its digital and industrial ecosystems.