Turkey’s defense industry was praised in a strategic meeting held in the Atlantic Council, which is considered the largest think tank in the United States, in recent weeks. The meeting emphasized that Turkey has become one of the leading countries, especially in unmanned combat vehicles, artificial intelligence and robotic warfare industry, and touched on the need to integrate these technologies into NATO member countries. The Turkey-Azerbaijan military partnership was cited as a successful integration model.
IMPORTANT NAMES AT THE MEETING
The meeting titled “Turkey’s Emerging Defense Technologies and the Future of NATO” held at the Atlantic Council building in Washington D.C. addressed Turkey’s defense sector. It was discussed how Turkey’s defense industry has made pioneering advances in every field, especially military aviation, and how NATO can learn from this. The meeting was attended by prominent writers in the global defense sector, including Thomas X. Hammes, former National Security Advisor to the US President and retired General James L. Jones, Jr., who served as NATO Commander-in-Chief, and Volkan Öskiper, Deputy Director General of NATO and European Atlantic Security Defense Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.
Türkiye IS THE LEADING COUNTRY
It was stated at the meeting that Turkey is a very important country in terms of both production and experience in unmanned aerial vehicles and robotic warfare technologies, and that NATO member countries should also be integrated into this strategy. It was emphasized at the meeting that the criticality of unmanned air, land and sea systems in the Russia-Ukraine War had come to light, and that battlefields were increasingly becoming “digitalized.” It was emphasized that UAV and SIHA technologies, in which Turkey has a strong presence, are of key importance in winning modern wars. The meeting also included the statement, “Turkey is a pioneer country not only in UAV/UCAV technologies but also in doctrines that have been tested and achieved success on the battlefield.”

Türkiye SAW IT MANY YEARS AGO
At the meeting, it was suggested that Turkey’s achievements in integrating unmanned ground combat vehicles and robotic warfare industry should be “put into practice by NATO member countries”. Retired General James L. Jones, Jr., speaking at the ceremony, emphasized the importance of Turkey’s defense sector for NATO with the following words:
“At a time when global tensions are rising from Russia to China, Iran to the Middle East, the United States and Turkey need each other more than ever. The Russian-Ukrainian War revealed how the nature of global wars has changed, and the Turkish defense sector and strategic thinkers were able to see this many years ago. Turkey stands out not only with its UAVs but also with its artificial intelligence systems, unmanned land and sea vehicles, and creative technologies in the energy sector. Turkey is also making rapid progress in conventional weapons. For example, by 2025, approximately 30 percent of all 155 mm artillery shells in the U.S. military will come from a production line owned by a Turkish company in Texas.”
Türkiye-AZERBAIJAN EMPHASIS
Deputy Director General for Defense Affairs, NATO and European Atlantic Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Volkan Öskiper, on the other hand, mentioned that the Turkey-Azerbaijan relationship is a “model relationship” as an example of the full integration of the defense sectors. Öskiper gave the following information to the participants about the two sister countries:
“Turkey-Azerbaijan defense relations began in 1992. The dynamics of this relationship, which is renewed every three or four years, is always to adapt it to the conditions of the modern era. The process that began with joint training with the Azerbaijani army in 1992 has now turned into advanced war technologies. The Azerbaijani army is an army at NATO standards.”
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