Türkiye’s defence industry goes global with strategic acquisitions PHOTO

Turkish defence companies, having previously focused on markets in Asia and Africa, have recently begun turning to NATO and EU countries, making strategic acquisitions across the globe.

In 2016, the aerospace company TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace Industries) took a significant step toward global market expansion by acquiring the German company Grunwald, Caliber.Az reports, referencing Turkish media.

In 2019, aligned with Türkiye’s goal of producing domestic armoured steel, OYAK acquired a controlling stake in the Finnish firm Miilux. In addition to operating factories in Finland and Poland, OYAK established the first and only flat steel heat treatment plant in Türkiye, located in the city of Manisa.

Two years ago, the Turkish defence company Nurol Teknoloji, which specialises in ballistic protection solutions, acquired a controlling stake in the German ceramic raw materials manufacturer Industrie Keramik Hochrhein (IKH). Around the same time, CANİK — one of the world’s leading small arms producers — acquired AEI Systems, one of the oldest defence industry firms in the United Kingdom.

Last year, BAYKAR signed a major agreement that raised concerns in some European countries. In pursuit of its strategic goal in both aircraft production and space technologies, BAYKAR acquired the Italian company Piaggio Aerospace.

The latest move came from ASSAN. At the end of May, ASSAN Group acquired South Africa’s DynaFlow Technologies.

Today, Türkiye’s defence industry has emerged as one of the world’s leading sectors, comprising more than 3,500 companies and over 1,100 active projects. It currently exports around 300 types of products to more than 180 countries.

By Tamilla Hasanova