Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) has announced the successful first year of the “National Competence Initiative in the Defense Industry,” a program designed to strengthen and future-proof the nation’s defense workforce. Initiated on August 6, 2024, by a decision of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the Defense Industry Executive Committee meeting, the initiative aims to align human capital development with Turkey’s technological and strategic defense goals.

In a statement shared on his NeXT Social account, SSB President Haluk Görgün emphasized the importance of human-centered progress in the defense sector, noting that “investment in people is as strategic as investment in technology.” According to Görgün, 25,000 individuals enhanced their skills through digital learning platforms over the past year, while a total of 87,061 participants benefited from 26 different training and experience-sharing events. Additionally, 3,444 high school and university students received specialized competency training, and more than 10,000 individuals attended in-person programs.

The initiative brought together a wide range of stakeholders across Turkey’s defense ecosystem: 77 companies, 206 universities, 4 ministries, and 12 institutions collaborated in this nationwide mobilization. Moreover, international outreach events were held in four European countries, laying the groundwork for reversing brain drain and encouraging skilled Turkish professionals abroad to re-engage with the domestic defense industry.

Expressing his gratitude to President Erdoğan for his leadership and vision in launching the program, Görgün stated, “We are transforming our talent into competence and our competence into full independence.” His message underlines the initiative’s broader goal — not only advancing defense technology but also building a sustainable, skilled, and future-ready human capital base for Turkey’s rapidly growing defense sector.