The 2nd International Military Radar and Border Security Summit, organized by the Ankara Branch of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) to support the development of the domestic and national defence industry and to increase its export potential, began in Ankara with the participation of ministers, commanders and numerous guests.

The opening of the summit, held at the Hilton Garden Inn Ankara Hotel and set to continue for two days, was attended by officials and guests including Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu, Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar, Chief of General Staff General Yaşar Güler, Land Forces Commander General Ümit Dündar, Naval Forces Commander Admiral Adnan Özbal, Air Forces Commander General Hasan Küçükakyüz and Director General of Security Mehmet Aktaş.

MÜSİAD President Abdurrahman Kaan, who hosted the event, said in his speech at the opening that the defence industry feeds many sectors in terms of its outputs, both in technology and in intermediate goods.

Stating that reaching national production and technology capacity in the defence industry creates the ability to react more quickly in the face of increasing threat perceptions, Kaan said: "Military radar and border security are of vital importance in meeting threat detections and in operating rapid intelligence processes. In securing our borders, the national production of high-technology national monitoring and detection systems, air defence gun and missile systems, aerial reconnaissance and surveillance, naval platforms and surveillance systems is possible through advanced radar technologies."

Emphasizing that its members have carried out successful work in the defence industry, Kaan stated that they believe more companies will be channelled into this field.

Pointing out that they have established partnerships based on the defence industry, Kaan said: "Our Large-Scale Capital Partnerships Committee proceeds directly through the concept of partnership in the defence industry. Our starting point in this field, where scale is essential, is to develop SME structures and to create a separate national element for defence sub-industry investments."

"A Defence Industry Free Zone Should Be Established in Ankara"

MÜSİAD Ankara President Hasan Basri Acar also drew attention to the fact that many companies operating in the sector run their activities from Ankara, and stated the following:

"We request the establishment of a Defence Industry Free Zone in Ankara. Increasing the domestic content ratios of the products used in the defence industry is also among our demands. Designing tender specifications accordingly is important for the development of the domestic and national defence sector. The way must be opened for SMEs to become suppliers for the defence industry."

Stating that the brain drain needs to be reversed in order to develop technology in the defence sector and to produce products such as software more effectively, Acar reported that domestic and national production in the defence industry is vitally important in strategic and security terms.

What Matters Is Reducing External Dependency

Speaking at the summit, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu gave important messages on issues closely concerning Türkiye's internal security. Drawing attention to the fact that Türkiye maintains a very different strategy and unity of action despite changing threat parameters in ensuring its security, Soylu emphasized that what matters here is that Türkiye increases the number of its stakeholders and reduces its external dependency while taking its security steps.

Conveying that the Department of Combating Cyber Crimes of the Directorate General of Security, which was hollowed out during the July 15 coup attempt, today has the capacity to scan 100 million photographs per second, Soylu reported that this figure can only be reached in the world's leading intelligence organizations.

“Success Comes First of All Through Inspiration and Beliefs”

Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar, for his part, stated that Türkiye has today reached a position where it can meet not only its own needs but also the demands of friendly and brotherly countries. Expressing that Türkiye's exports in the defence industry have risen to USD 2.5 billion, Akar noted that last Sunday the first steel-cutting ceremony within the scope of the MİLGEM Project with friendly and brotherly Pakistan was held with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Akar said: "Work on many of our projects is also continuing at full speed. Domestic and national capability comes not through words but through deeds. As our ancestors said, 'A person's mirror is his work; words are not looked at.' We have carried out all this work together with statesmen, bureaucrats, workers, civil servants and engineers who have devoted themselves to their country and nation, and with you industrialists and businessmen who trust in the strength and abilities of your own people, and we will continue to do so from now on as well. But is all this enough? Certainly not. Undoubtedly, success comes first of all through inspiration and believing. Therefore we want inspiration and faith. However, these alone are not enough. It is also a fact that, alongside believing, we must work very hard in order to bring out a product. In other words, we will work harder and, God willing, we will produce more."

New Projects Made Their Debut

Within the scope of the summit, where sessions were held on topics related to the sector's agenda, an exhibition area was also created. At the fair, the latest trends in radar technologies and the newest projects in the field of border security are being introduced.