Canada looks to Turkey's SSB model to boost its own defence industry

Prime Minister Mark Carney, on his inaugural state visit to Turkey, said Canada intends to model its emerging domestic defence industry on Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), which coordinates procurement, production and export for the Turkish armed forces. He highlighted the need for Turkish expertise to raise Canada’s local-content rate above 80% and lessen dependence on foreign military hardware. Turkey has become a founding member of Canada’s Defence Security and Resilience Bank, which seeks to raise up to £100 billion in low-cost financing for allied nations.

The two countries also concluded a Defence Sector Partnerships memorandum of understanding, paving the way for joint projects and technology sharing, especially in space, aviation and unmanned systems. SSB head Haluk Görgün described the cooperation as a commitment between NATO allies, and Polish deputy prime minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz praised the model. Carney met executives from Aselsan and Baykar to discuss potential collaborations.