Turkey’s defense ministry has denied knowledge of allegations that the US subsidiary of Turkish defense contractor REPKON was involved in ammunition sales to Israel, saying the company operates under US law, the BirGün daily reported.
The statement came after nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party lawmaker Buğra Kavuncu submitted a parliamentary question to Defense Minister Yaşar Güler concerning reports that Repkon USA had taken part in munitions production and supply for Israel.
Kavuncu cited a US State Department notification approving an emergency $151.8 million munitions sale to Israel that included 12,000 BLU-110A/B 1,000-pound bomb bodies. He said the notice identified Repkon USA, based in Garland, Texas, as the principal contractor.
He asked whether the ministry was aware of claims that REPKON or its US subsidiary had joined Israel’s ammunition supply chain, whether the company’s role had been verified and whether such activity conflicted with Turkey’s declared trade restrictions on Israel.
In a written response, Güler said defense contractors established abroad are subject to the laws of the countries where they are based and operate.
“In this context, the company called Repkon USA, based in the United States, is subject to the legislation of the relevant country, and our ministry has no information regarding the company’s production and supply chain,” he said.
The ministry added that REPKON’s Turkey-based operations remain subject to Turkish laws regulating weapons, ammunition, explosives production and defense industry security.
The disclosure added to scrutiny of Ankara’s commercial links with Israel after Reuters reported in January that Israeli imports of Azerbaijani crude via Turkey’s Ceyhan port hit a three-year high in 2025, despite Ankara’s 2024 trade ban imposed over the war in Gaza.
Critics accuse President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of hypocrisy, saying that while he presents himself as a defender of Palestinians and condemns Israel’s actions in Gaza, Turkey has continued to allow exports of dual-use goods that can support Israel’s military operations.
In a separate emergency notification dated February 28, 2025, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Israel had been cleared to buy $675.7 million in munitions and support, including 201 MK 83 1,000-pound bomb bodies, 4,799 BLU-110A/B bomb bodies and 5,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits, with Repkon USA and Boeing listed as principal contractors.
Repkon USA also announced last month that it had changed its name to Paligen Technologies, saying the rebrand was intended to create a distinct and independent market identity.
Repkon USA has expanded quickly in the United States.
In April 2025 it announced the acquisition of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems’ Garland operations in Texas, a facility that manufactures metal parts for defense and aerospace use.
On its website before the rebrand, the company also said it provides MK-80 series bomb bodies to the US military and allied nations.
The 1,000-pound BLU-110 bomb bodies in the package are the kind of heavy munitions used in strikes that flatten apartment blocks in Gaza, where Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem and a United Nations commission have concluded that Israel’s conduct amounts to genocide or genocidal acts.