Turkey's defence sector hits 83% local content, SSB chief reports

At the closing ceremony of TEKNOFEST Güneydoğu held at Şanlıurfa’s GAP Airport, Haluk Görgün, head of the Defense Industries Presidency, announced that locally sourced content in Turkey’s defence sector has risen to 83%, a dramatic jump from roughly 20% twenty years ago. He attributed this growth to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s support and trust in young talent, emphasizing that 97% of industry workers are graduates of Turkish universities.

The SSB is collaborating with higher-education institutions and the Education Ministry through the National Competence Initiative to develop the required expertise. Görgün also described the agency’s coordination of domestic manufacturing of military platforms and their components, such as sensors and weapons systems. The festival attracted visitors from neighboring provinces, and Demirören Media Group facilitated live broadcasts where editor-in-chief Fatih Uslu interviewed Görgün. The media partner showcased joint technology projects like Dimi, created by D-Smart and D Tech Cloud.