Burak Ege Bekdil
Burak Ege Bekdil was the Turkey correspondent for Defense News.
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Turkey’s Baykar to spend $100 million on Ukraine drone production
Company executives profess to view the war-torn country as a long-term, strategic partner rather than a short-term market.
Turkish, German firms eye Indonesian sub contract
Turkish and German naval specialists signed May 10 a letter of intent to cooperate on a contract to build variant of the Type-214 diesel-electric submarines for the Indonesian Navy.
IDEF'17: Increased rivalry observed among Turkey's armored vehicle makers
IDEF hosted a number of Turkish armored vehicles producers who showcased their latest models, luring thousands of visitors.
TAI's future lies mainly in civilian programs, CEO says
Presently, military programs account for about two thirds of the company’s earnings, with $500 million of the $1.6 billion sales in 2016 coming from civilian work. CEO Temel Kotil is planning a “transformation” in the next decade or two, with plans for the company to generate three-quarters of its earnings from civilian programs.
Sources: Turkey to ink 'largest ever export deal for local industry'
The Turkish government is about finalize its efforts to ink two major naval export deals totaling between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, official sources said on condition of strict anonymity.
Turkey in 'final phase' of secretive Saudi export deal
Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik has said the defense export contract with Saudi Arabia will be the largest-ever single export deal for the Turkish industry.
Going it alone: Turkey staunch in efforts for self-sufficient defense capabilities
The country is aiming to achieve near-full self-sufficiency in line with its regional and global ambitions for more political clout. But some of its indigenous programs may prove overly ambitious.
Interview: Aselsan CEO Faik Eken talks Turkey’s indigenous programs, corporate plans
Already listed as Turkey’s largest defense company and steadily rising on Defense News' Top 100 list of the world's leading defense companies, Aselsan CEO Faik Eken hopes to see the company in the top 50.
Experts: Turkey's President Erdogan to become more entwined in defense buys
The new powers will allow Turkey's president to get more involved with weapons programs.
Aselsan eyes 10,000 Mi-series helicopters for upgrades
Turkey’s largest defense company, Aselsan, says it will take an "active role" in the future modernization work for 10,000 Mi-series helicopters worldwide.
