Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to a rethinking of Germany’s security policy: since then, Berlin has been trying to increase its defense capabilities as well as support Ukraine.
Turkish defense analyst Caglar Kurc said, “The war in Ukraine has shown that NATO has insufficient production. Since the beginning of the war, European countries in particular have been trying to increase their manufacturing capacity.”
To meet this demand, Germany is looking for new partners – and it sees one in NATO ally Türkiye. Defense was a major topic when Friedrich Merz met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in late October. Erdogan said Türkiye would continue to cooperate closely with Germany.
“We would be happy if our two defense industries could cooperate with each other,” Foreign Minister Johan Waddefull said during a visit to Ankara a few weeks ago. “You can almost ask: Who else will we be working with on this?”
‘The world suddenly seems smaller’
A high-ranking official at the German armed forces procurement office in Koblenz, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Germany’s network shrinks in difficult geopolitical times.
“It is clear to all of us that NATO should play a completely different role in the geopolitical arena. Looking at how our North Atlantic relations are developing and how the situation in Ukraine or even the situation with China is developing, the world suddenly starts to seem relatively small,” he told DW.
“Turkey is at least a strong NATO partner that is not in a bad situation,” the official said, adding that both sides could learn from each other. Turkey has the second largest army in NATO after America.
Türkiye’s emerging sector: defense
In 2022, four Turkish companies – Baykar, Aselsan, TAI and Roketsan – made the SIPRI list of the 100 largest arms companies for the first time. The reputation of the Turkish defense industry in Germany is also improving.
“Türkiye’s new emerging sector,” read the headline on the German news website tagesschau.de.
According to Benedict Meng, a German defense expert with many years of experience in the German arms industry, Turkey can become both a cooperation partner and market for the German and European arms industry: “Since Turkey is one of NATO’s largest partners and a major player in the Middle East and the Caucasus, deeper defense and industrial policy relations are certainly beneficial in terms of common security interests.”
Cooperation agreements already exist. Starting in 2027, the Turkish company Repcon will produce in Germany 155 mm artillery ammunition, which is the standard ammunition for NATO howitzers, which are also used in Ukraine.
Turkish media called it “technology transfer”. Kurk saw this as an exaggeration, but said it had symbolic value.
“Türkiye’s production capacity, its willingness to cooperate and the quality of its companies are also an important resource for developing European defence,” he said. “It would be a mistake for Europe to keep Turkey out of the picture.”
For example, there has been political tension for years over the deployment of German tanks in northern Syria, but relations are now changing. In 2017, Germany moved its Tornado jets and a tanker aircraft from Incirlik to Jordan.
Today, Turkey is again considered a partner, while criticism of human rights violations is being toned down.
“Of course, Turkey should start the process of democratization. But let’s be honest: What options do we have at the end of the day? We’re not going to say to the U.S., ‘We’re not going to buy your weapons systems anymore because you’re deporting people,'” the Bundeswehr official said.
He said efforts were being made to maintain NATO ties with Turkey, where an increasingly authoritarian government rules and also maintains good relations with China and Russia.
Turkish drones for Europe?
Recently, Turkey has established itself on the international stage, especially with its powerful and affordable drones. They played a decisive role in the Nagorno-Karabakh war and are also being used in Ukraine. European Union countries Poland and Romania have already purchased them. In June, Byker and Italian defense contractor Leonardo established a joint venture.
“Germany should definitely keep an eye on Turkish drones,” the Bundeswehr officer said. “Turkey is quite advanced in this area. In terms of market analysis and cooperation opportunities, I definitely see Turkey as a player with which it would be worth talking in the near future.”
“In the field of drones and other flying systems, Turkey has developed interesting expertise that can be incorporated into joint projects,” Meng said. He said German technology, such as German sensors, is already being used in the TB2 drone.
Kurc emphasizes how international partners benefit: “Turkey’s growing production capacity also strengthens NATO. An example is armed drones: while Europe is still implementing the Eurodrone project, Turkey already has two comparable systems. If Europe uses these capabilities, it will strengthen its defense.”
Meanwhile, Türkiye is seeking deeper involvement in Europe’s arms strategy. In October, the EU Commission confirmed that it had received an application from Turkey to participate in the “Security Action for Europe” (SAFE) programme, which aims to strengthen the defense industry with a total loan of up to €150 billion. The application is currently being reviewed, the commission said.
This article was originally published in German.