Turkey’s defense industry is rapidly expanding its strategic footprint in Southeast Asia, with Indonesia emerging as one of its most promising partners. After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to Indonesia in February — coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries — both nations pledged to deepen collaboration across priority sectors including defense, energy, infrastructure, and technology. During the subsequent visit of President Prabowo Subianto to Ankara, a roundtable meeting organized by DEİK brought together leading Turkish and Indonesian defense companies under the coordination of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).

Major Turkish defense contractors such as ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, and TAIS participated in the meeting, reflecting Ankara’s long-term strategy to engage Indonesia not just as a customer, but as a co-production and joint development partner. ASELSAN CEO Ahmet Akyol emphasized the company’s long-standing presence in Indonesia, stating, “We have been active in Indonesia for many years. We started significant new projects at the end of last year and officially launched ASELSAN Indonesia earlier this year.” He noted that ASELSAN is pursuing both defense and civilian projects, adding that Indonesia presents “major opportunities” in both areas.

TUSAŞ CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu highlighted that cooperation with Indonesia extends beyond exports, focusing on modernization and joint development. “We are currently working on two major projects in Indonesia — one for modernization and another for the ANKA UAV — with additional talks underway regarding KAAN, HÜRJET, and naval platforms,” he said. Demiroğlu added that cooperation in defense is expected to serve as a catalyst for expanding trade in agriculture, healthcare, and other industries, backed by strong political commitment from both nations.

Meanwhile, HAVELSAN CEO Mehmet Akif Nacar announced that the company plans to open a permanent office in Indonesia in 2025, following nearly a decade of business engagements in the country. “Our teams frequently travel to Indonesia, but a permanent office will strengthen collaboration with local companies and allow us to take part in larger-scale projects,” Nacar stated. He underscored that Indonesia has become HAVELSAN’s most important partner in Southeast Asia in terms of business potential.

These developments underline Turkey’s comprehensive approach to international defense cooperation — moving from product sales to joint engineering, localized production, and long-term sustainment partnerships. With its vast geography, maritime challenges, and growing modernization needs, Indonesia provides fertile ground for Turkish expertise in areas such as radar systems, communications, UAVs, naval technologies, and simulation solutions.

The Turkish defense industry’s expanding presence in Indonesia not only supports Ankara’s foreign policy vision of “strategic partnerships beyond borders” but also enhances its standing as a reliable, high-tech defense supplier in Asia-Pacific markets.