This article is a summary for “On The Outside Looking In: Turkiye’s Peripheral Role in European Defence-industrial Collaboration Since the End of the Cold War Report” written by Karl Dewey, Haena Jo, Fenella McGerty, Ester Sabatino, and Tom Waldwyn.

I am very excited to share some enlightening ideas from yesterday’s detailed report, which tries to tease out and examine the peripheral role of Türkiye within European defense-industrial cooperation since the end of the Cold War. The report adds historical context while taking stock of the current challenges and prospects regarding Türkiye’s involvement in the European defense landscape, offering an advanced analysis of the factors charting this singular trajectory.

The new security environment offered by the post-Cold War period has set off, he says, a sustained phase of defense-industrial consolidation, especially in the aerospace sector across Europe. Specifically, this created the need for aerospace multinational corporations like Airbus and MBDA to drive Europe’s defense industry’s cornerstones. The consolidation process in the defense industry had already started in the case of Türkiye during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly based on the need to achieve strategic autonomy. In 2004, Türkiye focused on Indigenous designs with an overarching objective: to reduce its dependence on foreign partners and increase its hard power in defense.

Despite these efforts, the country remained outside the significant European defense mechanisms. Political and strategic differences, with their transferred activities from the WEU to the WEAG, further limited the potential for participation by Türkiye in collaborative defense projects. In a large part, this could be accounted for by particular security concerns of Türkiye, its geographic position that put it at the crossroads, and foreign policy decisions often opposite to those of its European partners.

Strategic Autonomy and Indigenous Development

Whereas Türkiye has been following an independent course, thus underlining strategic autonomy based on national attempts at creating independent defense capabilities, it has achieved a remarkable evolution of its domestic defense industry. The existing successes regard the development of İstif-class frigates and state-of-the-art uncrewed aerial vehicles like Bayraktar Kızılelma. These developments show an increased political will toward decreasing dependence on foreign technology and empowering the base of domestic defense manufacturing.

The continuous brain drain, high inflation rates, and over-reliance on imported subsystems have tainted the path of strategic autonomy for Türkiye. In this sense, the difficulties faced illustrate how challenging it is to establish a self-sufficient defense industry in the rapidly changing global security environment. Despite all the odds, the strategic turn of Türkiye toward developing and exporting indigenously developed defense technologies placed it as a rising actor in the global defense market. This shift enabled Türkiye to meet its security needs and become a competitive player in international defense markets.

Current Challenges and Strategic Shifts

The report points out many challenges running through the process that Türkiye needs to grapple with to achieve its strategic ambition fully. High inflation and economic volatility have hit the defense budget and procurement processes. Another significant hurdle is the brain drain of skilled professionals to other countries, which poses problems in further maintaining and developing the technological capabilities of Türkiye. Another big challenge is dependence on imported subsystems — although reduced — it is a vulnerability that must be surmounted to allow for true self-sufficiency.

Despite the odds, Türkiye has made some strategic turns that better place it in the global defense landscape. The country invested massively in research and development, creating an enabling environment for innovation and technological advancement. Furthermore, Türkiye has used its geopolitical position to form strategic cooperation with third-party nations beyond the traditional European circle, like Qatar, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine. This cooperation has allowed for technology transfer, joint ventures, and rising defense exports.

Future Prospects and Recommendations

The following are several recommendations the report would make to realize the full potential of Türkiye’s role in European and global defense cooperation. The close area of cooperation with European nations on a bilateral and multilateral basis, including mutual trust and joint ventures, could be harnessed for tighter collaboration. On its part, these contacts would be conducive to Türkiye integrating more cohesively into the European defense structure despite political and strategic differences felt in previous years.

In the short term, Türkiye should reap every benefit from the competitive advantage brought about by the low value of the lira and ensure export markets are maximized. Focusing on regions with relatively weak European competition could yield significant economic and strategic dividends. Further investment in R&D is also paramount if the indigenously won defense capabilities of Türkiye are to be sustained and advanced. The investment will ensure that Türkiye stays at the forefront of technological innovation and maintains its competitive edge in the global defense market.

Conclusion

This report underlines the existing challenges and opportunities within the defence-industrial landscape of Türkiye. In this respect, strategic partnering and innovation are required to highlight the role of Türkiye in global defense cooperation. Having said that, as every success secured and challenge overcome puts Türkiye increasingly into play in the playing field, it is positioned to be an essential element at both the European and the global level regarding security and defense.

The details are all there for any interested person to get from the report. Let the discussion continue how meaningful collaboration and growth in this vital sector can be driven forward. Drawing from its peculiar strengths and addressing the challenges, Türkiye will enhance its strategic autonomy and substantially contribute to global defense initiatives.