The Supplier Days Event between the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) and Roketsan, an important stakeholder in our country's defence industry, took place at the MÜSİAD Head Office.

The event, where MÜSİAD's prominent manufacturing members from different sectors had the opportunity to meet Roketsan executives, was attended by Roketsan Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Faruk Yiğit, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı, MÜSİAD Defence Industry Sector Board Chairman Fatih Altunbaş, bureaucrats and MÜSİAD members. The event, which began with opening speeches, continued with B2B meetings on procurement between Roketsan's purchasing executives and MÜSİAD members.

At the event, organized to strengthen interaction and increase stakeholding in the defence industry sector, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı emphasized the importance of the defence industry for a Türkiye that is effective and has a say in the international arena, saying that strong diplomacy passes through these paths.

In his speech, Asmalı also touched upon the genocide and massacre carried out by Israel in Gaza, saying: “I condemn Israel, which has carried out a barbaric genocide by dropping thousands of tons of bombs on innocent Gazans and Palestinians using the most modern weapons, and the global centres that patronize, support or remain silent about this oppression.”

“We have a deep-rooted tradition of diplomacy”

MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı emphasized Türkiye's tradition in diplomacy and expressed that Türkiye is a country that uses diplomatic channels very aptly, and that the beginning of the culture of diplomacy in our tradition can be traced back to the founding periods of the Ottoman Empire.

Asmalı continued his remarks as follows:

“Another element of strong diplomacy is a strong defence industry. Taking an effective role in solving problems in the international arena and becoming a state that has a say on the global stage is possible only through having a strong defence industry.

Especially under current global conditions, it is essential that your military and technological capacity be very strong in order to set the game. However, the element of power that has a multiplier effect on these capacities is human resources and human capital. In this sense, simultaneously with the development of our defence industry, we must make investments that will develop our human capital and carry out special projects to raise young generations.

At first glance, it may be assumed that the main purpose of developing the defence industry is solely military security. However, the impact of the industrialization process on the economy is quite significant. For the defence industry is a sector with very strong links to the other sectors within the national economy. The defence industry both provides a source for the intermediate and investment goods industries within the manufacturing industry and enables the emergence and development of new branches of industry. The fact that the defence industry affects many sectors at once also occupies a very important place in our development goal, particularly in recent years. As you know, thanks to the steps taken and the policies pursued especially over the past 20 years, the needs of our security forces have begun to be met to a significant extent with national technologies and domestic means. In this way, a domestic content rate as high as 80 percent has been achieved in the defence industry.

As we move forward in line with our “Century of Türkiye” goal, which our esteemed President points to at every opportunity, the great distance we have covered in the defence industry will also be one of the indicators of this.”

“Our goal is to grow the defence industry sector”

Expressing that their goal as MÜSİAD is to grow the defence industry sector and to make Türkiye a country with a say in this field, Asmalı said that we must put people first and be strong and ready.

Continuing his remarks, Asmalı made the following statements:

“Our goal is to encourage strategic cooperation between our sector members and the representatives of other sectors, both through B2B meetings and by improving procurement processes. In this way, we aim to further strengthen the business connections between the defence industry sector and other sectors.

Among the valuable companies attending this important event of ours, led by our members from the defence industry sector, esteemed members from machinery manufacturing, cyber security, textiles, tourism, construction and many other sectors took part. We wholeheartedly thank all our companies and members who participated.

Right at the beginning of my remarks, I would like to underline one point. The strength of the defence industry and your possession of deterrent modern weapons do not prevent you from putting people first. Our preparation for battle, that is for war, must always be for the establishment of peace and justice.”

“Our belief that hand in hand we will achieve the goal of a fully independent Türkiye is boundless”

Roketsan Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Faruk Yiğit, who delivered a speech in the program, expressed that the procurement methods Roketsan provides while producing domestic and national technology also progress in this direction.

Yiğit continued his remarks as follows:

“A strong defence industry and a strong Roketsan are possible only with a strong ecosystem. At this point, creating a sustainable ecosystem that grows with us and develops together with us is of great importance. We greatly value our suppliers, who are our common stakeholders walking the same path with us, supporting us and carrying us forward with their valuable projects. As Roketsan, our first priority is the establishment of a defence industry that is competitive in the international arena, in which new technologies and innovation come to the fore and, more importantly, that is national. Our belief that, hand in hand with you, we will achieve the goal of a fully independent Türkiye in our defence industry is boundless.”

“As MÜSİAD, we serve as a bridge”

MÜSİAD Defence Industry Sector Board Chairman Fatih Altunbaş, for his part, explained in his speech that as MÜSİAD they serve as a bridge and that they aim to bring their members together with Türkiye's major brands. Emphasizing the AMAC Military Attachés Summit and the ASELSAN Supplier Days Event held in this direction, Altunbaş expressed that they have created business opportunities in the defence industry for many companies from different sectors.

Altunbaş continued his remarks as follows:

“In recent years we have begun to hear the names of our companies in the defence industry in the global arena. On this occasion, as you all know, I congratulate our ROKETSAN, which has entered the top 100 largest defence industry companies in the sector according to the International SIPRI report; God willing, we will see more Turkish companies on the list in the period ahead. The most important instrument in ROKETSAN, which is 35 years old today, reaching its mission of self-sufficiency is that it has a strong supply chain structure. As the MÜSİAD Defence Industry Sector Board, with events such as this one we undertake here the duty of a bridge between the foundation companies that are the building blocks of our defence industry and you, our esteemed members, who attend from all over our country.”

B2B Meetings Held

Before and after the program, B2B meetings were held between MÜSİAD Members and Roketsan Purchasing Management in a total of four sessions. Cooperation opportunities were created in the meetings held on procurement with stakeholders from the many sectors in which Roketsan is involved in technology production.

At the Roketsan & MÜSİAD Supplier Days Event, MÜSİAD member businessmen also had the opportunity to examine Roketsan's latest technology products up close. The products exhibited at the event were the ATMACA Anti-Ship Missile, the Mini Smart Munitions MAM-C, MAM-L and MAM-T, the TRG-300 Missile, the Short-Range Anti-Tank Weapon KARAOK, the Medium-Range Anti-Tank Weapon System OMTAS, the Long-Range Anti-Tank Missile System UMTAS and the Laser-Guided Long-Range Anti-Tank Missile System L-UMTAS.