Nearly a century after its founding, TOMTAŞ Aviation and Technology Inc. has been revived in Kayseri, reigniting Turkey’s first aircraft factory. Its reactivation has sparked the creation of 11 new aerospace companies, positioning the region as a new industrial and defense aviation hub with a $63.5 million investment.

According to Companies Market Cap data, ASELSAN has become the 18th most valuable defense company in the world with a market capitalization of $15.18 billion, marking a historic milestone as the only Turkish firm on the global list.

According to SETA researcher and Azerbaijan Khazar University lecturer Gloria Shkurti, the Turkish public has not only adopted defense industry technologies but also experienced a psychological transformation. She emphasized that the National Technology Initiative, coupled with major projects and government incentives, has created an optimistic and confident technological outlook in Turkey.

ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol announced that AI systems introduced under the ASELSAN Next program have saved 650,000 labor hours and increased efficiency by approximately $35 million within just one year.

Under Turkey’s largest single armored vehicle export deal, Otokar will deliver 1,059 COBRA II 4x4 vehicles to Romania. Production has already started in Sakarya.

HAVELSAN’s medium-class unmanned ground vehicle BARKAN is set to enter mass production following its proven success and positive field performance, as approved by the Defense Industry Agency (SSB).

At TEKNOFEST TRNC, HAVELSAN presents its locally developed technologies, offering visitors experiences such as parachute and shooting simulators, along with AI-focused workshops for young engineers. The event highlights Turkey’s growing innovation power in defense technology.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pilots of the Turkish Armed Forces complete an 18-week intensive training at the Army Aviation School in Isparta, mastering every skill needed to operate under any conditions. Supported by modern simulators, the program prepares them for both combat and humanitarian missions.