Lebanon blasts show urgency of onshoring technology. Türkiye agrees

As the world watched in horror the explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon in a series of attacks blamed on Israel, the immediate focus shifted to the vulnerability of countries which import electronics.

Türkiye's Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, was perhaps the most senior official anywhere to spell out what the governments were thinking in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

"This incident has once again demonstrated how vital our national technology drive is," he said.

"Developing and producing critical technologies with our own domestic resources is not a choice, but an absolute necessity."

Experts say that Israel somehow intercepted the pager and walkie-talkie consignments on their way to Lebanon and planted explosives that were then detonated remotely.

Alpaslan Kesici, the general coordinator of the Turkish Cyber Security Cluster (TCSC), says the dependence on foreign technology involves many intentional or unintentional vulnerabilities, especially in critical infrastructures and strategic sectors including defence, energy systems, health and communications.

"This situation both increases cyber security threats and puts national security at risk," Kesici tells TRT World, adding that such dependence can cause major security gaps.

‘Israel has opened Pandora’s box’

The attacks also serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities embedded in the global supply chain of electronic gadgets, which rely on many different countries and factories in both production and distribution processes.

A weakness at any point in the complex delivery process can give an opportunity to the enemy.

"The increasing sophistication of the so-called global value chains makes it very difficult to secure the entire supply chain. Israel has wide-opened the Pandora’s box. And what it has done may have serious repercussions on international trade," says Murat Yulek, rector of the OSTIM Technical University in Ankara.

The immediate impact of the explosions could be more border controls on imports of electronic and chemical goods, he says.

What happened in Lebanon will kickstart the race for homegrown technologies.

"The most effective way to mitigate these risks is to invest in developing domestic and national technologies, strengthen cyber security strategies and ensure supply chain security," says TCSC’s Kesici, who is also an advisor to Türkiye's Defence Industry Agency.

It would be a long-term strategy covering aspects ranging from national security to economic development.

Wealthy nations, including the US, Germany, and Japan, are increasingly onshoring production of high-tech equipment such as semiconductors to mitigate these risks. However, low-income and developing countries still rely heavily on imports for critical technologies.

Türkiye’s efforts to onshore tech

"Being closely located to an apartheid regime such as Israel makes life very difficult for all countries in the region," Yulek says, stressing an urgent need for countries in the Middle East to "revamp their national security."

Türkiye is among the leading countries in the drive for self-sufficiency, especially in areas such as defence and energy.

According to technology minister Kacır, this push has culminated in a significant shift in defence production, with Türkiye moving from importing most of its defence goods to producing 80 percent domestically.

Türkiye has become one the largest exporters of armed drones.

The country's efforts to onshore technology production is a step that not only strengthens national security, but also has important regional and global implications.

"Onshoring technology production will not only increase Türkiye’s independence, especially in critical areas such as the defence industry and cyber security, but also strengthen its foreign policy," Kesici says.

The move thus offers significant benefits beyond the country. By reducing reliance on foreign tech imports, Türkiye can strengthen its hand as a leader in the Middle East.

"Türkiye’s indigenous products, especially in the fields of defence and cyber security, can set an example for other countries in the region and increase strategic cooperation with them," according to Kesici.

The country’s technology exports can also contribute to strengthening the “security of military and civilian infrastructures in the region,” he adds.

Evolving landscape of warfare

While the attacks in Lebanon caught the world by surprise, they likely won’t be the last of their kind. Traditional military confrontations are increasingly complemented by sophisticated technological assaults that exploit everyday devices.

As nations navigate this evolving landscape of modern warfare, the importance of technological sovereignty has never been clearer. NATO has already recognised cyberspace as the fifth domain of warfare, alongside land, sea, air, and space.

Cyberspace can profoundly impact both military and civilian infrastructures, making it a critical component of national security strategies.

Countries that develop their own cybersecurity solutions maintain complete ownership and control over the technology, while imported solutions carry the risk of critical data falling into the hands of other nations and create dependence on external sources for updates, maintenance, and technical support, says cybersecurity expert Kesici.

Türkiye's Cyber Security Cluster plays a pivotal role in this area, enhancing national cybersecurity capacity, supporting the development of local solutions, and strengthening the country’s international standing in the technology sector, he adds.

On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that awareness of cybersecurity is growing significantly within Turkish institutions.

While an exclusive department is working under the ministry of transport and infrastructure, Fidan indicated the establishment of a dedicated national cybersecurity agency.