Dear Mr. Undersecretary, firstly
\nwe would like to thank you for
\nthis interview. You have left nearly
\na year behind in your duty. How
\ndo you evaluate Turkish Defence
\nIndustry\u2019s development during this
\nperiod of time? What will Turkey\u2019s
\nvision and strategy be for this new
\nperiod starting with you?
\nSince my appointment, I have
\nallocated my time in order to become
\nmore familiar with the industry and to
\nunderstand the way it functions while
\nevaluating some aspects such as the
\nnumber of projects, direct procurement
\nand development procedures. During
\nall these efforts, I need to ask some
\nquestions and therefore my days
\nare quite busy. In each issue that I
\nquestion, the answer takes longer
\nthan I expect and then I cannot spare
\nanytime for the remaining questions.
\nPresently, I am trying to make the
\nmost of this period. We are gradually
\nproceeding. It is possible to have an
\nidea by visiting the defence industry
\ncompanies, conducting detailed
\nexchange of information and making
\nexaminations. I might say that so
\nfar my accumulation of information
\nis composed of the facts I learned
\nthrough in-house presentations;
\nnegotiations conducted in various
\nenvironments and issues that came up
\nduring the congrats visits in addition to
\nmy previous know-how. I cannot claim
\nthat I came across a far more different
\nstructure than I knew and expected.
\nI believed in the need for conducting
\nstudies in line with the priorities and
\nareas of expertise and I still believe so.
\nOne may set an ideal and objective
\nin producing excellence for all the
\nproducts in many product ranges, but
\nthe resources are limited, we need
\nto identify our priorities, arrange our
\nneeds in an order and establish a
\nstructure accordingly.
\nOur defence industry primarily
\nneeds a very strong infrastructure.
\nWithout doubt, during the development
\nof products and launch of national
\nproducts a robust infrastructure is
\nrequired both for export and for their
\nutilization in critical processes. The
\ndevelopment level of the defence
\nindustry\u2019s infrastructure is reflected
\non the product as well. If one fails
\nto advance the infrastructure of the
\nindustry and to enable prominent
\nindustrialists in trading area, then
\nclaims made for becoming a pioneer in
\ndefence industry will not be possible.
\nOne cannot assert that \u201cwe may not be
\nvery good in other industry branches
\nbut are very skilled in defence
\nindustry\u201d. That would be a wrong
\nperception. If sustainability is aimed,
\nwe will have to develop competence
\nin all branches of the industry. If there
\nis a gap in one\u2019s infrastructure, no
\nmatter how full your superstructure<\/p>\n
may seem, issues may arise in the
\nlong term regarding producing and
\ncommercializing long-lasting products.
\nWhich areas and programs will
\nbe gaining priority in line with these
\nstrategies in the upcoming period?
\nThe best answer will be to say all
\nareas however; there are two different
\nscenarios here. First scenario is
\nwhat I have been constantly hearing
\nsince I took the office and is based
\non a perception that goes like \u201cthe
\nUndersecretariat is a supplying
\nauthority, certain people would claim
\ntheir needs and we either develop
\nproducts or get them developed or
\nproduced\u201d. This perception, surely,
\ndemonstrates that the Undersecretariat
\nfor Defence Industry\u2019s (SSM) position
\nand authority in determining the
\npriorities and planning the future is
\nvery limited. I believe this shouldn\u2019t be
\nlike this. In my opinion, this structure
\nand this decision-making mechanism
\nshould be altered. Needless to say,
\nthe defence industry in Turkey and its
\nfuture plans depend on the end-user
\nthat is the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF)
\nand their demands and requirements
\nshall be the indispensable components
\nof the scenario. Still, Turkey, as a
\ncountry, is an overall structure that
\nconsists of political, financial and
\nmilitary structures and the policies
\nand strategies of our country is formed
\nthrough a common sense arising from
\nthis structure. We should not ignore
\nthis fact. I believe that, beyond a
\nscenario that is merely triggered by the
\nTAF, we should also be able to trigger
\ncertain issues and bring new initiatives
\nwithin the framework of our strategic
\nvision. In this sense, when you focus
\non a high-technology product that is
\nrequired especially in modern war
\nindustry and employ most of your
\nexisting resources to this without
\nhaving experience in that area, then
\nthis move needs to be questioned. At
\nthis stage, maybe a less advanced
\nproduct, a more feasible product would
\nbe bringing you more achievement.
\nYou need to proceed with products
\nthat would carry your industry forward.
\nTherefore, attaching priority to more
\nachievable products may be more
\nappropriate. I do not wish to name a
\ncertain product or a branch of industry,
\nbut we really need to manage the
\npreparation process of our industry
\nwell and exist in the market with good
\nand tradable products as soon as the
\nindustry is ready.
\nTurkey has an export goal for
\nyear 2023 that needs to be reached.
\nWhat is your approach to Turkey\u2019s
\nadvancement in light of this goal
\nwith robust, critical products that
\nhave added value? Which path do
\nyou think Turkey should follow to
\nthis end?
\nAs I mentioned before, reaching
\nto such goals without tending towards
\nhigh added value areas might be
\ntough. For example, if you made an
\nexport of 25 billion USD and 23 billion
\nUSD of which came from import, then
\nyour actual volume of export would
\nbe merely 2 billion USD. Then, there
\nwould not be any point in reaching
\nyour goal through such operations.
\nYou must avoid such a deception.
\nQuestioning the percentage of the
\nimported inputs while examining our
\nexport figures will be a good call now.
\nAdditionally, if you sell a product,
\nthe sub-components of that product
\nmay consist of imported products, so
\nyou should be very careful for such
\ncomposition. In this respect, when
\ntrying to reach the export goals, the
\nadded value and total net value should
\nbe taken into consideration during
\nconducting export activities.
\nThese parameters are important
\nand we have very ambitious targets,
\nsurely while setting ambitious targets,
\nthe efficiency of the infrastructural
\nstudies conducted in line with
\nthese targets should be considered
\nsimultaneously. While conducting
\ninfrastructural studies, the steps to
\nbe taken within the scope of this
\ncoordination should be immediately
\ntaken. If this infrastructural study
\nis related to human resources,
\nthen training the human resources
\nshould be rapidly initiated. Setting an
\nobjective is good, but identification
\nof the milestones for reaching the
\ntarget should be made thoroughly.
\nIf there is a gap in the coordination,
\nthen it should be filled. Understanding
\nclearly what needs to be done,
\novercoming the obstacles, and if
\nthere is a resistance from any of the
\naspects then determining ways of
\nmoving around it is essential. If you
\ndo not establish a correct strategy,
\nif you do not have products to sell
\nthen reaching such targets will not be
\npossible. Within such a framework,
\nwhile covering the needs of our
\nArmed Forces, we focused more on
\nthe products bearing export potential,
\ncomposed various product families for
\nmany requirements. As the utilization
\nof these products by our Armed Forces
\nincreases and as they are known
\nbetter, I am sure that they will be
\nassuming a driving force towards our
\nexport target.
\nHow do you assess Turkey\u2019s
\nefficiency in Gulf and Arab
\nCountries in respect of Turkey\u2019s
\nnaval, land and aerial platforms and
\nrelated system solutions?
\nTurkish Defence Industry has
\nsucceeded significant changes in
\nthe recent years with the solutions
\ndeveloped in land, naval and aerial
\nplatform and so to speak changed
\nher shell. Due to the challenging
\nrequirements of Turkish Armed
\nForces, the sector went far beyond
\nthe point of merely providing highquality
\nproducts that it develops and
\nproduces for our armed forces; our
\nproducts presently compete with other
\nproducts in international markets.
\nToday our sector has the capacity
\nto manufacture the main defence
\nplatforms and their sub-systems from
\nmain battle tanks to wheeled and
\ntracked land vehicles, from fast patrol
\nboats and frigates to attack helicopters
\nand unmanned aerial vehicles. The
\nfact that most of the products and
\nsystem solutions produced by Turkish
\nDefence Industry are being utilized
\nby TAF increases their competency
\nin international markets, and the
\nfruitful export activities of recent
\nyears confirm the reliability of our
\nproducts and capabilities in the
\ninternational arena. Our companies
\naccomplished successful projects with
\nmany countries in the Middle East,<\/p>\n
Gulf countries, Middle Asia and Far
\nEast with their high-quality products
\nand competitive prices. Deliveries of
\nmany systems, the wheeled armored
\nvehicles and fast patrol boats in
\nparticular, were accomplished in
\nthe aforesaid regions and effective
\ncooperation activities have been
\ncontinuing with various countries.
\nYou recently opened SSM offices
\nin USA, Belgium, Saudi Arabia and
\nKazakhstan in order to increase the
\nefficiency of our defence industry
\nabroad and become close to
\nmarkets while strengthening the
\ncooperation. Do you envision a
\nstructure covering the African and
\nArab countries within the scope of
\nyour future plans?
\nAs you mentioned, we launched
\nfour SSM offices in four countries
\nin order to present and increase
\nthe recognition of the products and
\ncapabilities of Turkish defence industry
\nin foreign markets and pave the way
\nfor our companies in international
\nmarkets through governmental
\nsupport. Our offices in Washington
\nD.C., Brussels, Riyadh and Asthana
\nnot only conduct their studies and
\nactivities in the countries they exist but
\nalso struggle to develop cooperation
\nin defence industry in their regions.
\nWe believe that launching new offices
\nin other regions would enable the
\nestablishment of new cooperation and
\nthus contribute to our sector. Within
\nthis scope, we are continuing our
\nstudies and evaluations for opening
\ntwo more offices in Africa and Far
\nEast.
\nIs there a certain road map on
\nthe short, medium and long term
\ncooperation to be established
\nbetween the Arab Countries and
\nTurkey? What would you like to say
\non the existing cooperation and
\npotential opportunities?
\nAs I previously mentioned, we
\nachieved great success in cooperating
\nwith the Middle East and Gulf
\nCountries in defence industry in the
\nlast ten years. Our defence companies
\npursue these efforts in a devoted
\nmanner while continuing our intensive
\ncontacts with our respondents in
\norder to establish new collaborations.
\nWe are always willing to share
\nour technologies transformed into
\nproducts as a result of our companies\u2019
\nintense efforts with the friendly and
\nallied nations in light of the plans and
\nguidance of our Undersecretariat.
\nBecoming the architect of a
\nsustainable and competitive defence
\nindustry and gaining competence in
\ntechnologies regarding the defence
\nand security requirements of the future
\nare our most important targets. The
\nroad map for developing our current
\ncollaborations and creating new
\ncooperation opportunities depend on
\nthe realization of aforesaid goals.
\nWhat are your comments on
\nTurkey\u2019s expansion of existing
\ncapabilities by establishing joint
\ncollaborations with Arab Countries
\nthrough technology transfer?
\nThe defence and security
\nrequirements are certainly
\nindispensable for all countries.
\nWithin the limit of their capacities, all
\ncountries aim to own their technologies
\nconcerning this issue and thus
\nminimize their technological and
\nlogistical dependence. To this end,
\ncurrently the export achievements in
\ninternational defence market depend
\non the share of technology in parallel
\nwith the level of strategic alignment
\nbetween the countries in an increasing
\nlevel. Within this framework, we
\nfully support the establishment of
\ncooperation with the friendly and
\nallied nations through technology
\ntransfer. Until now, we have given
\nour support to many countries both
\nthrough technology transfer and
\nestablishment of joint initiatives and we
\nwould like this point to be perceived by
\nour respondents as an indicator of our
\nsincerity and decisiveness.
\nWhich opportunities will the
\nArab investors that wish to invest in
\nTurkish market wait? What are the
\nincentives offered in this respect?
\nWhat are your comments?
\nOur country that has a very
\nprivileged location in our region with
\nits position as a bridge among the
\ncontinents and cultures is an actor
\ncommitting a bright future especially
\nwith its stable economic growth and
\ndevelopment in the last ten years. With
\nour young population of 30 million and
\napproximately 200 higher education
\ninstitutions, we have a highly qualified
\nand competitive labor force. Through
\nestablishments such as Technology
\nDevelopment Zones, Industrial Zones
\nand Free Trade Zones, we offer
\nsubstantial tax advantages to the
\ninvestors. Gathering all these factors,
\nTurkey becomes prominent, efficient
\nand cost-effective center of activity that
\nallows access to significant markets.
\nI believe that within this scope, with
\nits modern, improved and competitive
\nbusiness environment, our country
\nhas the capacity to host new investors
\nespecially from the countries of the
\nregions that we share a common
\nhistory and cultural inheritance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Mr. Undersecretary, firstly we would like to thank you for this interview. You have left nearly a year behind in your duty. How do you evaluate Turkish Defence Industry\u2019s development during this period of time? What will Turkey\u2019s vision and strategy be for this new period starting with you? Since my appointment, I have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genel-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=156"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":157,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions\/157"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkeyishere.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}