“Turkey is seeking to create new partnerships for defense and aviation projects with other countries rather than just being a market for defense manufacturers,” Demir said.
Ankara spent more than $1 billion on defense, research and development in 2014, while Turkey seeks to rely more on domestic sources than imported products.
Speaking during a reception at the Italian Consulate on Monday 23 March 2015 to mark Turkey-Italy Industry Day, Demir said he had negotiated with Italian Defense Ministry Undersecretary Gioacchino Alfano over possible cooperation opportunities between the two countries.
“Our main message is please don't come to us in the hope of selling a product but, if you offer cooperation on something, we can do it. We can talk over how to support each other's project; this was the main theme of our negotiations. We exchanged ideas with one another and tried to know each other's capabilities,” Demir said.
He recalled the two countries had worked together successfully on projects such as the T129 ATAK attack helicopter.
Italian Defense Ministry Undersecretary, Gioacchino Alfano, underscored the strength of ties between two countries and said: “Italy differs with its expertise on defense and aviation sectors compared to other countries trying to establish partnerships with Turkey”.
“We would like to bring our technology, create partnership and invest here rather than just selling some products,” Alfano added.
Turkish defense producers aim to boost exports to $25 billion by 2023, when the country will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the modern republic.
Turkey’s defense spending was 29.4 billion Turkish liras, or $13.2 billion, this year, according to Turkish Defense Ministry.
Turkey is currently negotiating a $3.5 billion deal for a long-range air and anti-missile defense system, including local production, with suppliers from China, Italy and France.
Source: Anadolu Agency; Photo: Diyadinnet
