Deputy Minister of National Defence Muhsin Dere visited OSTİM and received information and made assessments regarding the organized industrial zone and the OSTİM Defence and Aerospace Cluster (OSSA) activities.
Dere stated that Türkiye's recent cross-border operations and the difficulties encountered in procuring products from abroad during this process have highlighted the importance of nationalization in the defense industry, saying, "A few months after the start of Operation Peace Spring, the need for sniper bullets arose. One country said it couldn't supply them, another said it could after 3 months. We gathered our mold-making colleagues from OSTİM, spent a few nights at the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK), and in 13 days, molds that didn't exist in Türkiye before were created, a production line was established, and we reached the point of making high-volume deliveries."
Dere stated that the Turkish defense industry is in a good position in terms of combating terrorist organizations, but the current situation is not sufficient for Türkiye's mission in the region, and continued:
"We need to establish a structure that is suitable for and supportive of this mission. We should have had an air defense system a long time ago. When the helicopter project started, our engine projects should have started as well. Taking these into account, we need to make better plans in the future."
"We can also achieve improvements in terms of cost."
Dere pointed out the importance of using resources effectively and efficiently in the sector, stating, "MKEK has approximately 4,000 machines, 70% of which are over 30 years old. Instead of replacing all of them, the sector's capabilities in this area can be utilized, and strategic cooperation agreements can be made."
Dere stated that approximately 700 projects with a budget of 75 billion dollars are being carried out in the defense industry, and added the following:
"We can improve all these processes through project prioritization and structuring. Projects can run at least twice as fast. If we overcome bureaucratic obstacles and some delays, we can achieve a 40-50% improvement in costs as well. We need to plan very well what, where, and how we should spend. If we use our resources with good planning, we can close the gap between us and other countries in a shorter time."
Dere stated that for the development of the Turkish defense industry, good planning is necessary to prevent project conflicts, increase export figures, expand the skilled workforce, develop subcontractors, and give them more responsibility.
Muhsin Dere and his companions later visited OSTİM Board Chairman Orhan Aydın and OSSA Board Chairman Mithat Ertuğ, as well as some companies operating in the region, and received information about their work.
Source: AA
