At the Türkiye-U.S. Defense Industry Cooperation Roundtable Meeting held on the occasion of the 36th NATO Summit; Deputy Minister of National Defense Salih Ayhan, U.S. Under Secretary of War Michael P. Duffey, DEİK President Nail Olpak, DEİK/Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAİK) Chairman Murat Özyeğin, AmCham Türkiye President Emre Karter, ATBR Chairman General James L. Jones, and representatives of leading organizations of the Turkish-American defense industry came together.

Organized in cooperation with the DEİK/Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAİK), AmCham Türkiye, and the American Turkish Business Roundtable (ATBR) on the occasion of the 36th NATO Summit, the 'Türkiye-U.S. Defense Industry Cooperation Roundtable Meeting' was held in Ankara on July 7, 2026, with the participation of Deputy Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Türkiye Salih Ayhan, U.S. Department of War Under Secretary for Procurement and Military Acquisitions Michael P. Duffey, DEİK President Nail Olpak, DEİK/Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAİK) Chairman Murat Özyeğin, AmCham Türkiye President Emre Karter, ATBR Chairman General James L. Jones, and representatives of Turkish and American defense industry companies.

At the meeting, it was emphasized that the constructive, strategic, and forward-looking approach, which has recently gained strength in the relations between Türkiye and the United States, makes significant contributions to economic and commercial cooperation as well. Within this framework, it was stated that sustainable partnerships to be developed in strategic sectors such as the defense industry and advanced technology, in addition to the commercial relations between the two countries, will further strengthen the economic and industrial dimension of bilateral relations.

During the meeting, it was noted with satisfaction that in the ongoing contacts within the defense industry sector, opportunities for joint design, development, and production, supply chain integration, the development of joint projects in third countries, and cooperation in next-generation technologies are increasingly being established on a more concrete foundation. While it was expressed that the constructive dialogue and understanding of strategic cooperation maintained at a high level between Türkiye and the U.S. will pave the way for new partnerships in high value-added sectors, primarily the defense industry, it was evaluated that these developments will also make a significant contribution to achieving the 100 billion dollar bilateral trade volume target set by the leaders of the two countries in 2019.

Ayhan: "The Defense Industry is One of the Strongest Pillars in the Strategic Partnership of the Two Countries."

Deputy Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Türkiye Salih Ayhan stated that, "The constructive dialogue established between our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Mr. Donald Trump brings a new momentum to Türkiye-U.S. relations. This strategic partnership contributes not only to the interests of both countries but also to NATO's deterrence and the strengthening of the common security architecture. The defense industry is one of the strongest pillars of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Having reached a localization rate of over 80 percent, with more than 3,500 companies and over 100,000 qualified employees, the Turkish defense industry has become a powerful production and technology ecosystem on a global scale. We are ready to take our cooperation with American companies further in the fields of joint production, R&D, and advanced technology. For this potential to be fully realized, it is of great importance to remove the obstacles to bilateral defense industry and trade cooperation. Reducing regulatory restrictions and paving the way."

Duffey: "I urge you to lean in and answer the call."

Under Secretary Duffey stated that, "In this gathering of allies and industry leaders, comes at a critical time in our partnership. We're here to talk business, but more importantly, to talk about our shared security. The world has always been a dangerous place, but we have returned to the era of great power competition today. Active conflicts and the evolving security environment, demand a revitalized and integrated transatlantic defense and industrial base. Our primary challenge is speed and scale, speed and accelerate production critical capabilities into the hands of the war fighter now, bureaucratic delays and production gaps are no longer acceptable their strategic vulnerabilities to the industry leaders in this room I urge you to lean in and answer the call, share with us, your regulatory choke points and supply chain bottleneck so we can work together to address them, make the necessary investments to expand production and build supply chain resilience. It is time to reduce roadblocks for partnership."

Olpak: "Global Security Needs Strengthen the Turkish-American Defense Partnership"

DEİK President Nail Olpak stated that, "Given today's strategic environment, increasing global security needs create significant opportunities for deeper cooperation in the areas of defense procurement, industrial capacity, and sustainment. We believe that combining Türkiye's advanced manufacturing capabilities, agile production base, and proven defense industry expertise with the technological leadership and procurement needs of the American defense ecosystem carries great value. Turkish defense companies have proven their abilities to rapidly scale production, provide reliable supply chain solutions, manufacture to rigorous military standards, and develop custom products for operational requirements. As DEİK, we expect the roundtable meeting we organized within the scope of the NATO Summit to serve as a platform to identify opportunities, establish common ground, and deepen our industrial and economic ties."

Özyeğin: "Our Industries Are Not Competitors, But Complementary"

DEİK/Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAİK) Chairman Murat Özyeğin stated that, "I believe that the defense and aerospace sectors will be one of the most important driving forces of the next growth period in the economic partnership between Türkiye and the United States. Our industries are not competitors to each other, but complementary. The steps to be taken in the fields of joint production, technology development, mutual investments, and supply chain integration will not only enhance the economic relations of the two countries but also the resilience and competitiveness of NATO's industrial ecosystem. As the business world, we welcome the recent positive developments in the defense industry, and I hope that this constructive momentum will transform into lasting collaborations."

AmCham Türkiye Chair Emre Karter stated that, "In today's changing security environment, strong collaborations between the public and private sectors are of greater importance than ever before. We believe that there are significant opportunities between the two countries in the fields of defense technologies, industrial capabilities, and investments. As AmCham Türkiye, we will continue to contribute to the further strengthening of this strategic partnership and to support the constructive role of the private sector."

ATBR Chairman General James L. Jones stated that, "The further strengthening of defense industry cooperation between the U.S. and Türkiye is of strategic importance not only for the two allied countries but also for the defense capacity of the NATO Alliance. I believe that the ongoing contacts in the field of defense industry will pave the way for new opportunities that will support concrete collaborations and long-term partnerships between the two countries."

The sponsors of the meeting were Lockheed Martin, Alp Havacılık, Canik, Havelsan, Kale Havacılık, and TEI.