Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE), one of Türkiye’s oldest and most established defense industry institutions, is rapidly strengthening its position across the African continent. The BAMEX 2025 Defense Industry Fair, held in Mali’s capital Bamako, has once again highlighted this momentum. The fair drew high-level delegations from across Africa, many of whom visited MKE’s stand to examine its products, production capabilities and technology transfer solutions firsthand.

Ali Hakan Şafak, MKE’s Director of International Marketing and Sales, emphasized the changing nature of modern warfare, noting that conventional weapons and ammunition have regained significant importance in today’s conflict environments. With rising global demand, attention has increasingly shifted toward production capacity—a field where MKE has been making major investments. Şafak stated that the company is not only responding to product demand but is also actively supporting countries that wish to build their own production capabilities. In line with this, MKE currently manages 11 ongoing international projects across multiple regions of the world.

Africa remains one of MKE’s most strategic markets. Şafak highlighted that MKE has exported to 23 African countries to date and has even signed agreements with some nations for the establishment of ammunition production facilities. These initiatives position MKE not merely as a supplier but as a long-term strategic partner capable of transferring technology and building local industrial capacity. “We can confidently say that we do this better than Western countries,” Şafak said, pointing to the company’s extensive experience and global reputation.

Moreover, demand is not limited to Africa alone. Şafak stated that countries in Europe and other parts of the world have also expressed interest in collaborating with MKE for technology transfer and production solutions. He noted that African nations in particular have strong trust in the Turkish defense industry, and MKE aims to further strengthen this trust by sharing its operational experience and expanding its cooperation activities across the continent. According to Şafak, MKE products continue to attract significant attention worldwide, and the company will soon announce new developments regarding expanded production capabilities, new product lines and upcoming export successes.

These advancements highlight MKE’s evolving role as a global leader in ammunition production, going far beyond Türkiye’s borders. As cooperation between Türkiye and African nations deepens, MKE’s expanding presence is set to contribute significantly to both regional security and the growth of Türkiye’s defense industry on the global stage.