Turkey wants to deepen defense industry ties with Japan through the joint development and production of drones, anti-drone systems and related aviation technology, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Nikkei Asia.
Fidan said Turkey and Japan had “complementary capabilities” and that there was “strong potential for mutually beneficial collaboration.”
Turkish drone technologies “have proven themselves in different operational environments” and could offer opportunities for joint development and co-production with Japan, he said, pointing to coastal and border security as possible areas of cooperation.
“In aviation, particularly in unmanned aerial systems and anti-drone technologies, Turkey has developed advanced and field-tested capabilities that could provide a strong basis for collaboration,” Fidan said.
Turkey has become one of the world’s most prominent drone producers, with Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2 attracting attention after Ukraine used it against Russia. State-owned Turkish Aerospace Industries produces the Anka drone, which has been exported to countries including Malaysia and Indonesia.
Nikkei reported that both Baykar and Turkish Aerospace Industries have higher-end models and are seen by defense industry insiders as competitors with US and Israeli defense contractors for the Japanese market.
Japan has been seeking to expand its defense capabilities as China builds up its armed forces and global security risks increase. More than 10 Japanese companies took part in a defense industry matchmaking event in İstanbul earlier in May, according to the report.
Fidan said cooperation between Turkey and Japan was also underdeveloped in energy, digital transformation, aviation and space technologies, robotics and resilient supply chains.
Japan is Turkey’s third-largest Asian trading partner after China and South Korea, with bilateral trade reaching $5.7 billion last year. More than $5 billion of that total consisted of Japanese exports to Turkey.