The MÜSİAD & AMAC Sectoral Cooperation Meeting was held in Ankara with the participation of Turkish business people and military attachés from 45 different countries. At the program, assessments were shared on developments in the defence industry, MÜSİAD's work in the defence sector and areas of cooperation.
The MÜSİAD & AMAC Sectoral Cooperation Meeting, organized in cooperation between the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) and the Ankara Military Attachés Association (AMAC), was held at the Ankara Grand Hotel with the participation of AMAC President Brigadier General Kipling V. Kahler, MÜSİAD Deputy President Muhammet Ali Özeken, MÜSİAD Vice President Davut Altunbaş, MÜSİAD Sector Boards and Business Development Commission Chairman Osman Çalışkan, MÜSİAD Defence Industry Sector Board Chairman Fatih Altunbaş, MÜSİAD member business people and military attachés from 45 different countries. At the program, consultations were held on developments in the defence industry, MÜSİAD's work in the defence sector and areas of cooperation. Stating that AMAC had come together with a civil society organization for the first time, AMAC President Kahler said, "Such activities by MÜSİAD enable us to get to know the manufacturers of defence industry products and thus help us fulfil our military representation duty in Türkiye." MÜSİAD Vice President Özeken, who noted that Türkiye is one of the leading members of NATO, the world's largest defence pact, said in his speech at the event, "We are aware that as we develop our national defence industry, our contribution to regional and world peace will also increase."
Türkiye contributes to regional and world peace
In his assessment at the event, MÜSİAD Deputy President Özeken stated that the Turkish defence sector has developed important projects through its R&D work. Noting that Türkiye stands out among NATO members with its work, Özeken said, "We are aware that as we develop our national defence industry, our contribution to regional and world peace will also increase."
Özeken made the following statements in his assessment:
"Over the past 20 years Türkiye has carried out an important revolution in the defence sector, as it has in many other fields. Our investments towards a domestic and national production vision are increasing day by day the brand recognition of our producers, investors and industrialists in the global arena. Until 2003, arms imports in our country were on average 250 times exports, and after 2003 significant changes occurred in favour of our arms exports. Indeed, between 2003 and 2020 arms imports fell from an average of 250 times exports to 9 times. By 2020, despite all the adversities experienced worldwide, our arms exports exceeded our arms imports for the first time and our exports amounted to 1.64 times our imports. This is a concrete example of the fruits borne by the localization and nationalization policies successfully pursued in the defence industry since 2002. Türkiye is one of the leading members of NATO, the world's largest defence pact. We are aware that as we develop our national defence industry, our contribution to regional and world peace will also increase. At this point, both as MÜSİAD and as the MÜSİAD Defence Industry Sector Board, we are developing projects and collaborations that will increase R&D resources in a balanced manner in order to develop the Turkish defence sector."
AMAC meets with NGO members for the first time
AMAC President Brigadier General Kipling V. Kahler, who came together with MÜSİAD business people within the scope of the MÜSİAD & AMAC Sectoral Cooperation Meeting program, stated that being together at such organizations is important and that these organizations play an important role in fulfilling the duties not only of NGOs but also of military attachés. In his speech, Brigadier General Kahler said, "On behalf of the Ankara Military Attachés Association, I thank MÜSİAD very much for giving us the opportunity to meet and get acquainted with the esteemed members and manufacturers of the Turkish defence industry. All our attachés who are AMAC members and who have come here are eagerly awaiting the presentation to be made by you, our esteemed manufacturers. Coming together through such events, and especially holding these meetings face to face after COVID-19, is very important for us. For this reason, as AMAC we attach great importance to this meeting."
Saying that military attachés must carry out in their host country not only the military representation of the countries they belong to but all of their activities as well, Brigadier General Kahler continued his speech as follows:
"Such activities by MÜSİAD enable us to get to know the manufacturers of defence industry products and thus help us fulfil our military representation duty in Türkiye. AMAC today is a large formation with 124 members. While 122 of its members are in Türkiye, its other 2 members continue their activities in other countries accredited to Türkiye. Military attachés have more than one duty in the country where they are based. We may list these as representing the military activity of their own countries, advising their ambassadors through the attachés on Türkiye's capabilities and, most importantly, planning and organizing contracts concerning the defence industry in their host country. The most important one for us is the third item I listed. Thanks to MÜSİAD we fulfil this duty as well, and here we come together with defence industry manufacturers and organize collaborations. For this I once again extend my thanks to MÜSİAD."
"Today I call on all our attachés to make the most of the opportunities"
Brigadier General Kahler stated that this meeting is an opportunity for all AMAC members for their own countries and that they should benefit from this opportunity. Kahler said, "Today I call on all our attachés to make the most of these opportunities. After the presentations here you can create a new field of activity for your own countries. At the same time, I call on MÜSİAD members to make the most of this opportunity and to come together more often with AMAC members. In this way we will fulfil our military attaché duty in Türkiye. In addition, we will have the opportunity to increase the readiness and capabilities of our armed forces. I hope that everyone attending our event establishes fruitful connections and that this leads the way to our future collaborations."
"MÜSİAD carries trade diplomacy one step further"
MÜSİAD Defence Industry Sector Board Chairman Fatih Altunbaş, who shared his assessments at the program, said in his assessment on the importance of MÜSİAD's work in the defence industry that the meeting held with AMAC would make an important contribution to the recognition of the Turkish defence industry:
"This meeting is an advantage both for the military attachés and for MÜSİAD members. The ability of MÜSİAD, which has proven its success with the activities it has carried out to date, to reach the representatives of foreign countries will, in addition to opening the door to business opportunities, serve to strengthen relations between countries, will increase the recognition of the Turkish defence industry and will help the sector to offer precisely targeted suppliers in line with needs. The fact that AMAC is meeting with an NGO on the occasion of our sectoral cooperation meeting represents a first, and as the MÜSİAD Defence Industry Sector Board we take justified pride in having brought this about. One of our greatest aims in organizing this meeting is to carry trade diplomacy one step forward by bringing together AMAC members and MÜSİAD member companies operating in the sector."
