Exec Praises Defense Industry in Turkey

[RedBeard]

Saturday, 8 October 2011


Turkey’s defense industry is respectable for its strong technology and feasibility, the President Elect of the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) Annual Convention, Rhein Kalus Eberhardt, said at the opening of the convention held in Istanbul on Oct. 6-7.


“Based also on the experience with my own company, I really appreciate the strong technology and feasibility of the defense sector in Turkey,” said Eberhardt, who is chief executive officer of Rhein Metal, a German technology company for the defense and automotive industries. “Your defense industry plays a really prominent role for opening the doors to your neighbors in the Middle East,” he said.

More than 500 senior representatives from Europe’s aerospace, defense and security industries gathered in Istanbul to address the overarching theme of “global security as a collective challenge,” as well as other issues including Turkey as a gateway to emerging markets and future of civil aeronautics.

The convention is hosted by ASD, the Association of Turkish Defense industry manufacturers (SaSaD) and the Undersecretariat of Turkish defense industries (SSM). “This is a perfect opportunity for our European friends to investigate the possibilities for greater cooperation with the Turkish aerospace and defense industry” said SaSaD Secretary-General Kaya Yazgan, speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News.

Turkey is already cooperating with European industries in a number of aerospace and defense programs, said Yazgan, adding that in some of these programs Turkish companies dealt with design in addition to production and were risk-sharing partners too.

The Turkish defense industry’s turnover for 2010 was $2.7 billion, of which $634 million were exports and $660 million went to research and development, he said.


Saturday, 8 October 2011

Hurriyet Daily News


Exec Praises Defense Industry in Turkey, 8 October 2011 Saturday 9:26