Turkish defence companies meet NATO ministers in Brussels

NATO defence ministers have met with representatives of various defence industry firms, including from Türkiye, in Brussels on the sidelines of the two-day gathering.

Representatives of 26 defence companies from the United States and Europe were invited to join the June 15 meeting in Brussels on the margins of the NATO defence ministers’ meeting that focuses on stepping up support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Baykar and Roketsan were the companies invited from Türkiye, with CEOs Haluk Bayraktar and Murat Ikinci, respectively, representing the firms at the reception.

"During the meeting, which aimed to support collaborations to enhance the defence production capacities of NATO members, we shared our thoughts on the future of our industry," Bayraktar said on Twitter.

The Baykar CEO also pointed out that NATO's share of expenditures is gradually decreasing while global defence spending is increasing.

NATO, he said, has lost 10 percent of its share of spending to China, Russia, and India in the past 20 years, but its expenditures "have only grown by a modest 2 percent in real terms since 2000."

He added: "The defence industry, which supports the global security understanding, needs real growth in expenditures for new capacity, planning, and investment."

For his part, Ikinci expressed his pleasure to be one of the representatives of the Turkish defence industry in Brussels.

"We have no doubt that the breakthroughs Türkiye has made in the field of defence are as valuable for the allied countries as they are for our country," he said on Twitter.

Since the beginning of Russia's offensive against Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called on allies to increase defence production.

Meanwhile, some NATO members' arms stockpiles are reportedly dwindling due to the military support to Ukraine.