Türkiye, UAE strengthen defense industry ties with dozens of deals

Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates have signed 24 framework agreements to bolster cooperation among their defence industries, Emirati conglomerate Edge Group announced on October 11.

The agreements follow several years of political disputes between the two nations, which decided to reconcile their differences in 2022. And the two countries in July 2023 signed 13 agreements valued at $50.7 billion, which saw the UAE invest in Türkiye’s defence and space sectors, Defense News reports.

The accords were signed during a defence industry event in Ankara, Türkiye, jointly held by Istanbul-based defence expo business SAHA and Edge Group. The gathering included 10 of Edge Group’s subsidiaries and 125 Turkish defence companies.

The Turkish firms included military electronics specialist Aselsan, the country’s largest defence company; aeronautical technology heavyweight Turkish Aerospace Industries; engine producer Tusas Engine Industries; missile maker Roketsan; drone manufacturer Baykar; military software producer Havelsan; and the state-controlled defence technologies firm STM.

“There is already a large-scale defence industry cooperation with the UAE. At this event, we signed letters of intent to upgrade this relationship with the participation of small and medium-sized [defence] entities. We are aiming at synergy,” said Haluk Bayraktar, SAHA’s president and board chairman of Baykar.

As part of the new agreements, Edge Group has set up an organization in the UAE dubbed MALATH to handle the conglomerate’s cooperation with SAHA.

“MALATH’s only task is to coordinate UAE-Türkiye defence programs. These programs will involve joint projects, direct [defence industry] trade, investment and co-production,” Bayraktar said.