SECURITY AND DEFENCE
Turkish defence industries having achieved a global competitive capacity, are now keen to cooperate
Right time and proper platform for armament cooperation between Turkey and the EU by Murad Bayar, Undersecretary, Ministry of National Defence, Ankara
Considering global trends and current challenges, we have to ensure that the technologically advanced capability be improved so as to enable us to operate efficiently in the face of a wide array of diversified threats. A strong and indigenous capability infrastructure will ensure that our national and global interests are secured. This can be interpreted not only as building an indigenous defence industry, but also as deepening international defence integration.
Creating synergies − Turkey is keen to cooperate In addition, taking into account shrinking defence budgets, especially in Europe, co-operation has become indispensible in terms of providing best-value solutions to obtain cuttingedge technologies. The international partnership concept is now being taken more seriously than ever before, as many nations with similar requirements are eager to collaborate to create synergies. Turkey, meanwhile, particularly in the last decade, has made considerable strides towards its goal of modernising its armed forces and creating indigenous defence products in order to reduce arms import-dependency and to cultivate its own export markets. It has been the policy that defence procurement should, through joint ventures with overseas companies, provide the stimulus for industrial development. The Turkish Government has encouraged foreign investment, and there are a number of very significant co-production deals between Turkish and foreign companies involving important transfers of advanced technology to Turkey. Turkey is now keen to export and remain competitive in the defence sector.
Murad Bayar Murad Bayar is States Secretary for defence industries in the Turkish Ministry of Defence (SSM) and is in this position the chief procurement official of Turkey since 2004. He is an electronics engineer with master’s degrees from North Carolina University and Yale University. States Secretary Bayar startet his career 1987 with Turkey’s military-owned electronic company Aselsan. He worked for the SSM between 1989 and 1998 and thereafter began working at the international consulting firm Booz Allen Hamiltons in New York before coming to his current function.
Turkey has aimed to conduct effective supply activities in accordance with the expectations of the users, to improve international cooperation in the field of defence and to establish an effective institutionalized structure to realize the above-mentioned activities per our Strategic Plan. A growing trend began in the sector in 2007. $352 million in defence exports in 2006 has gradually increased to approximately $830 million in 2009, and sectorial turnover increased to $2.3 billion from $1.7 billion in 2006. Platforms not produced in Turkey, such as aircraft and submarines, are projects that even leading countries prefer to implement through consortiums. Thus, Turkey should aim at supplying the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces by affiliating our industry with international consortiums for these projects.
The Turkish procurement policy
Increased competitive capacities of the Turkish defence industry
Turkey’s procurement policy is implemented by the Under-Secretariat for Defence Industries (SSM), which undertakes technical, financial and industrial project evaluations. The strategic priorities of SSM are Procurement Management, Industry and Technology Management and International Cooperation. The 2007-2011 Strategic Plan policies published by SSM include: • having 50% of system requirements met through local infrastructure by 2011; • using cost + contracts for R&D and local development; • achieving defence exports valued at $1 billion per annum by 2011.
The global competitive capacity of the Turkish defence industry has gradually increased, especially in recent years, and Turkish companies have become contractors in national procurement projects and reliable partners in many respectable international projects. Thanks to the international projects, Turkish companies have begun to form an effective working culture with the world defence industry for new cooperation opportunities in the future. International defence industry cooperation has a reciprocal triggering relationship. As its technological infrastructure improves, our industry strengthens its stance as a suitable candidate for new partnerships, and as it participates in new international projects, it is able to improve its capabilities. One of
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