• With Europe still heavily dependent on external defense suppliers, Turkish companies are positioning themselves as a strategic alternative to traditional dependencies

• Turkish defense companies are no longer content to be mere suppliers to Europe – they’re becoming architects of a new European defense industrial base and are increasingly seen as valuable partners

The author is a resident fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and a NATO2030 Global Fellow.

From partner to architect

ISTANBUL

Something remarkable is happening in European defense, and it's not coming from the usual suspects in Paris, London, Rome, or Berlin. Turkish defense companies are orchestrating a quiet revolution, transforming themselves from ordinary equipment suppliers into architects of Europe's future defense landscape. And they are achieving this transformation with a level of sophistication that few would have predicted even five years ago.

When Baykar – the producer of the ultra-popular Bayraktar TB2 combat drone – acquired [1] Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace in December 2024, it wasn't just another bilateral defense industrial deal – it was a statement of intent that signaled a fundamental shift in how Turkish defense companies see their role in Europe. The numbers tell part of the story: Turkish defense exports surged to $7.2 billion in 2024 [2], but the real transformation lies in how Turkish companies are fundamentally reimagining their role in European defense.

Beyond drones: a strategic transformation

While Turkish drones have captured headlines worldwide, something more profound is taking shape within the Turkish defense ecosystem. The emerging partnership [3] between Italy’s Leonardo and Baykar is not just about integrating European electronics into Turkish drones – it is about establishing a new model of defense cooperation in which Turkish and European capabilities complement each other in unprecedented ways.

Multiple recent developments can help us better grasp this evolution. First, Spain's memorandum of understanding on Dec. 20, 2024 [4], to procure 24 Hürjet advanced trainers from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), with Spanish industrial participation in the program, marks a significant shift in European attitudes toward Turkish aerospace capabilities. Second, TAI's collaboration [5] with European defense companies on advanced airborne systems underscores the growing technological synergy between Turkish and European defense industries.

Third, Türkiye’s potential involvement in F-35 component manufacturing through Piaggio, a former sub-tier supplier for the program, could open new avenues for cooperation and highlight the strategic value of this acquisition.

The main drivers of Turkish defense industry transformation

The first driver is Türkiye’s evolving approach to the defense ecosystem, which has progressively transformed over the past decade. Turkish companies aren’t just selling products anymore – they're securing a strategic foothold within the core of Europe's defense infrastructure. When Italy’s Industry Minister Adolfo Urso described Piaggio Aerospace as a "strategic asset" [6] while approving its sale to Baykar, signaling a fundamental shift in how European governments perceive Turkish defense companies.

In other words, this isn’t just about market access – it's about becoming an integral part of Europe's defense industrial base. Turkish companies are now expanding across multiple European markets [7], from Italy to Spain and Portugal, creating a web of industrial relationships that appears structural in nature and will be difficult to unwind.

Second, the old model of technology transfer from Europe to Türkiye is a thing of the past. In its place, we’re seeing something more interesting: closer technological partnership. Leonardo’s CEO Roberto Cingolani defined [8] the agreement with Baykar as an example of “extraordinary complementarity,” acknowledging what many in the industry have come to recognize – Turkish companies can now bring unique capabilities and added value to the table. This is particularly evident in the unmanned systems sector, where Turkish expertise is increasingly seen as world-leading. But it’s not just about drones. TAI’s work on sixth-generation fighter technology demonstrates [9] how Turkish companies are pushing the boundaries of aerospace innovation. While some of these work strands and projects are still in their infancy, they are a testament to Türkiye’s ambition in the defense sector.

Third, it is worth noting that the implications of this transformation extend far beyond individual companies or programs. Türkiye’s potential participation [10] in European Union (EU) defense initiatives like Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) could help bridge the longstanding gap between NATO and EU defense efforts while also expanding the range of capabilities and technologies available to NATO allies.

Looking ahead: Türkiye and the future of European defense

The transformation of Turkish-European defense cooperation is occurring at a critical moment for European defense. With Europe still heavily dependent on external defense suppliers, Turkish companies are positioning themselves as a strategic alternative to traditional dependencies.

Notwithstanding its positive effects, this integration is not without challenges. Recent EU analyses indicate that while bilateral cooperation is expanding, broader integration continues to face significant challenges. Yet the strategic benefits are becoming increasingly clear. The EU’s latest defense initiatives emphasize [11] reducing fragmentation and strengthening industrial cooperation – precisely the areas where Turkish companies are making their mark.

The path forward is clear: Turkish defense companies are no longer content to be mere suppliers to Europe – they’re becoming architects of a new European defense industrial base and are increasingly seen as valuable partners in addressing Europe’s longstanding challenges with defense industrial fragmentation [12]. Recent deals like Spain’s procurement of TAI’s Hürjet trainers and the Leonardo-Baykar collaboration on advanced electronics demonstrate how Turkish companies are becoming essential partners in the European defense ecosystem.

With two Turkish companies now among the world's top 50 aerospace firms [13], this transformation has already surpassed its initial and most delicate phase and appears to be on a sustained growth trajectory. However, it remains to be seen whether key European defense powerhouses—such as Germany, the UK, and especially France, which has so far been more reluctant to engage with Turkish defense companies for obvious geopolitical reasons—will change their approach and follow in the footsteps of other European countries.

While more comprehensive industrial partnerships are unlikely in the short term, ad-hoc bilateral collaboration and the inclusion of Turkish companies in European defense programs could spark deeper cooperation in the long term. Deeper industrial synergy and integration would facilitate smoother military collaboration at both bilateral and multinational levels by enhancing interoperability and encouraging joint training—both essential for NATO operations. Furthermore, it can pave the way for a more robust economic partnership, making involved parties more reluctant to pursue painful diplomatic and political ruptures if these entail significant economic losses.

Against this backdrop, implications for European defense are profound. As traditional boundaries between Turkish and European defense industries blur, we are likely to witness the emergence of a more integrated, more capable European defense industrial base. This isn’t just good news for Turkish companies – it’s a potentially transformative force for European defense capabilities at a time when they're needed most. From advanced trainer aircraft to next-generation unmanned systems, Turkish-European cooperation is creating new possibilities for defense innovation and industrial collaboration that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

[1] https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/12/30/italy-sells-piaggio-aerospace-to-turkish-drone-maker-baykar/

[2] https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/turkiyes-defense-exports-snag-new-record-of-72b-in-2024

[3] https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/01/24/leonardo-drone-maker-baykar-seek-synergies-on-battlefield-sensors/

[4] https://theaviationist.com/2024/12/20/spain-procures-hurjet/

[5] https://defence-industry.eu/edge-to-collaborate-with-turkish-aerospace-industries-on-advanced-airborne-domain-projects/

[6] https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/12/30/italy-sells-piaggio-aerospace-to-turkish-drone-maker-baykar/

[7] https://www.nzz.ch/international/drohnen-schiffe-kampfflugzeuge-tuerkische-ruestungsgueter-sind-auch-im-westen-gefragt-ld.1864647?mktcid=smch&mktcval=twpost_08-01-2025

[8] https://www.trtworld.com/content/article/italys-leonardo-hints-at-potential-defence-collab-with-turkiyes-baykar-18257856

[9] https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/turkiyes-kaan-fighter-jet-set-for-deployment-by-2030-18225634

[10] https://finabel.org/turkeys-participation-in-the-pesco-military-mobility-project%EF%BF%BC/

[11] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/european-defence-fund-over-eu1-billion-drive-next-generation-defence-technologies-and-innovation-2025-01-30_en

[12] https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/in-defense-of-draghis-defense-idea-three-models-for-a-centralized-defense-procurer-for-the-eu/

[13] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/science-technology/turkiye-s-tai-and-baykar-join-global-elite-in-aerospace-ranked-among-top-50/3391590

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Anadolu's editorial policy.