Turkey and France Aims to Strengthen the Cooperation

Defence Turkey: Mr Aliş, first of all thank you for the interview. How do you evaluate the recent year of the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry in these days when we are leaving 2013 behind? Can we say that the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry had an efficient and effective year in terms of your expectations, goals and figures regarding the exportation?

Having carried on its activities since 2011, the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry Exporters’ Association is experiencing the justified pride of leading the way in many points in 2013.

Among the activities we carried out throughout the recent year, we can list the following:  the “Vision Gathering” where the problems of the industry and solution proposals were discussed under the auspices and participation of our Economy and Defence Ministers, the Turquality Project that we started for the target markets and the project related to the inventory of the sector.

The Turkish Defence Alliance (official name of our Sectorial Promotion Group) was officially established and began its activities in order to have a more efficient and qualified promotion of the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry abroad. 

Defence Turkey: All the locomotive sectors of Turkey aims to have an important position within the world economics and there is a vision work in this respect. What can you say about the position of the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry in this vision?

The defence and aerospace industry was one of the leading sectors in terms of the rate of increase in exports in 2013 compared to the previous year. While our exportation was around 600 million dollars in 2008, it reached 1,26 billion dollars in 2012 and around 1,4 billion dollars by the end of 2013.

Our target as of the end of 2014 is 2 billion dollars of exports. Our strategic goal is to become one of the significant global suppliers of the world. 

The defence industry is developing in terms of technology and innovation as is in the world. We are marching forward in our way with this consciousness and determination by adding new positive steps every day. 

We are working to support our SME’s (small and medium sized enterprises) to have effective positions in the field of exportation. It is critical for our SME’s “to concentrate on well-defined fields within the system and to be encouraged in this respect”. 2013 was intense in this manner, and this will continue increasingly in the upcoming years. 

The important point is to take required strategic steps in order to enable the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry to progress and take the position it deserves in the world. That is also our priority. 

We will further concentrate more on sectorial exhibitions to support the promotions of our exporters abroad. We will enhance them with various promotional activities. We will participate more in exhibitions both with National Participation Organization and with infostands on behalf of Turkish Defence Alliance and we will realize effective advertising and promotion activities. 

Defence Turkey: Mr Aliş, what would you like to say about current Turkish-French relations in the field of Defence Industry? 

Currently, Turkey and France have recently been experiencing a positive relationship in international arena. France is attempting to maintain and develop this constructive dialogue. France particularly intends to reinforce the cooperation in the fields of defence and security. Both countries aim to increase the cooperation opportunities in the field of economics through commercial agreements. All kinds of cooperation with France are of importance for Turkey, as well. One can say that both countries have recently experienced improvements in their relations. 

Defence Turkey:Mr Hollande, President of France, visited Turkey with an extended committee at the end of January. Do you think that this visit will have positive impacts on the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry in the short and long terms?

The French Minister of Defence was one of the participants of this quite extended committee. In my opinion, the first visit of a French President to Turkey after 22 years is of significance in terms of bilateral relations and cooperation. It seems that both countries seek for a strong cooperation particularly in the field of defence industry, and one can say that such a political will have positive impacts on the field of defence. 

Defence Turkey: Mr Aliş, do you have concrete works in your agenda to develop current relations with France in the field of defence in the upcoming years?

As SSI, we support and will attend the event of “Turkish-French Aerospace & Defence Industry Day and B2B Meetings”, which will be held on 27th-28th February in Ankara. We sometimes come together with France in such platforms as with other countries in order to develop our industry. In 2012, when our Association was yet established, we organized a National Participation in Eurosatory Defence Exhibition that is held twice a year in Paris. We are organizing the second National Participation this year in Eurosatory that will be held on 16th-20th June 2014. Turkish Defence Alliance, which was founded this year is also participating with an infostand.  

Defence Turkey: Do you have a message for Defence Turkey readers?

As the Turkish Defence and Aerospace Industry Exporters’ Association, we, as the Board of Directors will continue our activities unabated in order to develop the position of our sector both nationally and internationally. All the gains that our sector obtains will be the gains of our country, as well.