Turkey has always occupied a strategic position where it touches more than half a dozen other countries. Since time immemorial it has been witness to highly volatile action along its borders. Small wonder then that Turkey places a premium on having a deterrent capability, preferably based on a strategic self-sufficiency in defence industrial capacity.
We in the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) are proud to share with you the achievements of our industry. What we currently offer in the market place is the result of the dedicated effort and ingenuity of thousands of designers, scientists, engineers and others in factories across Turkey.
The turning point in our efforts came in 1985 when the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) was founded as a statutory body to coordinate and finance development of a defence industry in a more meaningful manner. Act No: 3238 set the objective as: “to constitute a basis for the development of a modern defence industry and to modernise the TAF”. Since its establishment in 1985 the SSM has been entrusted with the responsibility of a fair number of large defence industry projects, valued at about 30 billion dollars. The extent and magnitude of Turkey’s defence industry activities nowadays show a dramatic transformation towards world-class standards.
Our main long-term policies remain as follows: to manage the production and procurement of modern equipment, to undertake research and develop of new defence systems, to guide the Turkish defence industry, and to coordinate offset trade and international cooperation.
The SSM coordinates the entire defence industry sector to utilise their capabilities in the most efficient manner. Such efficiency also implies that our industries have to provide quality products at a competitive price in the global market. Therefore, the SSM organises and supports the defence industry sector to promote their products and services internationally and increase their exports.
This has led to the Turkish defence industry to show a strong presence in numerous areas: from aerospace, naval shipbuilding, tracked and wheeled armoured vehicles to specialised textiles, armaments and munitions, missiles, rocketry and advanced defence electronics. Turkish companies are now in a position to compete in the international defence market and receive orders from abroad for their state-of-the-art products. Alongside the scores of domestic suppliers to the TAF, the likes of MKEK, TAI, Aselsan, Havelsan, STM, Gate and Milsoft have all become renowned in the export market as innovative and successful companies in the field of Land, Air, Naval and Electronic Systems.
International Cooperation Department, whose main responsibility is to enable Turkish Defence Industry to reach a significant export and cooperation potential in international market, represents the Undersecretariat as a specialized organization in both national and international platforms in the frame of collaboration in defence procurement programmes and industrialization activities of the Undersecretariat.
The SSM attaches utmost importance to international cooperation in the field of defence industry and, supports the participation of Turkish defence industry in joint procurement programmes.. Turkey and her Partner Countries increasingly share global strategic interests that can benefit from closer defence cooperation. We believe that mutual will and efforts will be the major tool for the improvement of existing defence industry cooperation and pave the way for the future cooperation projects.
We stand ready to work with you.
Mr. Murad BAYAR
Undersecretary for Defence Industry (SSM)
Ministry of National Defence, Turkey
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