Representatives of the Turkish defence industry made an important visit to Canada as part of the Toronto Global Forum held in Toronto. The programme, organised under the leadership of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) / Turkey-Canada Business Council, included Turkey’s leading defence and aerospace companies Kale Group, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, and HAVELSAN.
The visit was carried out under the chairmanship of Mehmet Yılmaz, President of the DEİK/Turkey-Canada Business Council, between 15–17 October 2025, in cooperation with the International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA).
“Shaping the Future of Defence in an Evolving Global Landscape”
As part of the event, the panel titled “Shaping the Future of Defense in an Evolving Global Landscape” was held under the moderation of Osman Okyay, Vice President of Kale Group and Chairman of the Board of the Defence and Aerospace Industry Manufacturers Association (SASAD). The panel attracted great interest with the participation of more than 150 international representatives.
Showcasing Turkey’s Transformation in the Defence Industry
The panel addressed Turkey’s rapid development in the defence and aerospace sectors, the increasing capacity of domestic production, export performance, and innovation-driven transformation. Participants were informed about Turkey’s strengthening role in the global supply chain, potential cooperation opportunities with Canada in the defence field, and the goal of building joint operational capacity with NATO allies.
The presentations also highlighted that Turkey has become a global defence player by surpassing regional boundaries with its unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous systems, and next-generation naval and aerial platforms.
Okyay: “Our operational capacity will be strengthened through global partnerships”
During his speech at the panel, Kale Group Vice President Osman Okyay made the following remarks:
“We are in a period where the global security architecture is being reshaped and supply chains are being repositioned. The Turkish defence industry has become an active part of this transformation with its engineering capacity and field experience.
Strategic partnerships to be established with a defence and aerospace ecosystem like Canada, which has strong engineering capabilities, will not only enhance commercial relations but also strengthen our joint operational capacity with our global defence industry stakeholders, especially our NATO allies.”
The panel also underlined that these developments supporting NATO’s collective security offer new opportunities in terms of technological independence and innovation. The target of NATO countries to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 was evaluated as a development that will further reinforce Turkey’s strategic position in the defence industry.
