Turkey's Erdogan inaugurates $1.5B R&D hub to bolster defense industry

[close up map Syria, Jordan and Turkey]
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday announced a $1.5 billion research and development complex for state-owned defense company Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret, marking one of the most significant investments in Turkey’s defense sector to date.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for Aselsan’s new Ogulbey Technology Base outside Ankara, Erdogan described the project as a historic milestone, calling it the single largest defense-industry investment ever undertaken in the country, according to multiple news outlets.

The facility is intended to advance work on Turkey’s missile programs, with Aselsan set to design and produce radars, sensors and electronic systems used in precision munitions. As part of this effort, the company delivered 47 components of the “Steel Dome” defense project to the Turkish armed forces on Wednesday.

The investment reflects Ankara’s wider push to expand its domestic defense production. Under Erdogan’s leadership, Turkey has been pursuing projects ranging from drones and frigates to warplanes and ballistic missiles to strengthen military self-sufficiency and regional influence. Aselsan plays a central role in many of these initiatives.

Earlier this year, the firm secured government incentives valued at $616 million to support Steel Dome component manufacturing.

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