From unmanned aerial vehicles to naval platforms, Türkiye has built a defense industry the world talks about. It is the product of a generation's determination and the will of the state. The question to ask now is this: how much of the deepest layers of these platforms is truly ours?
Domestic production, layer by layer
A defense system's hull, engine, electronics, processor, software and the data that feeds it are separate layers. As the domestic share rises, the hardest layers come into view: semiconductors, embedded software and artificial intelligence. Embargo risk is felt most in these layers.
Why does the Turkic world matter?
The lands from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan hold critical raw materials, energy and a young engineering workforce. Joint R&D centers, joint supply agreements and common standards can turn this potential into strategic depth for the defense industry. The Organization of Turkic States offers a natural umbrella for this cooperation.
Our proposal
A supply chain map should be drawn for critical subsystems, and an alternative from within the Turkic world developed for every single-source item. Anatolian SMEs should join this chain through certification programs. And AI should be developed domestically at every stage, from decision support to maintenance planning.
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