• About
  • Contact
  • News Tips
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result

Turkish defense industry companies boost presence in Gulf market amid political crisis

by Nordic Monitor
May 14, 2020

ASELSAN's RCWS for naval use (Source: ASELSAN)

Nordic Monitor

 

Turkey’s leading defense industry contractors are increasing sales to the Gulf countries despite a political crisis between some regional countries and Turkey. Last week, state-run defense and technology company Aselsan, owned by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TAFF), signed a new sales contract for the supply of Remote Controlled Weapon Systems (RCWS) for naval use in Bahrain.

The Turkish defense industry sector aims to expand its presence in the Gulf while tensions between the Turkish government and some Gulf states remain high. According to a statement released by the company, Aselsan plans to make further investments and step up activities with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states in general and Bahrain in particular.

Similarly, another Turkish defense contractor, Havelsan, a TAFF affiliate, also established a joint venture, Havelsan Technology Oman LLC, in March to increase Turkey’s defense industry exports to Oman and other countries in the Middle East.

Aselsan is set to is set to export the RCWS to the Gulf state of Bahrain, its statement indicated. The RCWS is primarily designed for use on naval platforms and armored 4×4 and patrol vehicles as well as for stationary use to serve for the defense of strategic assets according to tactical requirements. They are integrated into more than a thousand naval and ground platforms.

Aselsan, which is controlled by the Turkish government, is the largest defense company in Turkey and is among the top 100 defense contractors globally. The company has a wide range of products including communication and information technologies, radar and electronic warfare, electro-optics, avionics, unmanned systems, land, naval and weapon systems, air defense and missile systems, command and control systems, transportation, security, traffic, automation and medical systems.

“Aside from the latest sale of the remote-controlled weapon system to the Gulf, Aselsan, present in the market for more than a decade, has provided countries with technological solutions through direct sales, transfer of technology programs, local production, and joint venture companies,” the statement underlined.

 

Gulf Cooperation Council

 

Turkish ties with most of the Gulf monarchies have suffered because of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood and the Turkish government’s efforts to undermine the anti-Qatar bloc led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt and joined by GCC members the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Accordingly, Turkey’s economic relations with the GCC countries have weakened since the crisis.

Egypt and some of the GCC states severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and took a number of punitive measures against the emirate, including imposing a total blockade, in June 2017. They accused Qatar of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood along with several other militant Islamist groups in the region. Turkey then came to the aid of Qatar, transporting goods there that had been disrupted by the Saudi-imposed sanctions. Moreover, Turkey increased its military cooperation with Qatar by adding to the number of troops it maintains in the country.

Turkey’s military interference in Libya has also sparked outrage in countries across the Gulf region.

 

The Turkish Armed Forces Foundation

 

TAFF was founded in 1987 to “enhance the combat strength of the Turkish Armed Forces” and has played a leading role in the establishment and development of the defense industry. It directly and indirectly controls major companies such as Aselsan (electronics), Isbir (generators and alternators), Aspilsan (battery pack products), Havelsan (informatics), Roketsan (rockets and missiles) and TAI (aerospace and satellites). In 2018 it earned 43 percent of the Turkish defense industry’s total revenue, while it was responsible for 41 percent of defense exports.

On December 24, 2017 President Erdoğan issued a decree placing the military ruled “foundation” under his control. Today, the TAFF board of trustees, as the main decision-making organ of the foundation, is chaired by Erdoğan.

Previous Post

Turkish President Erdoğan’s chief advisor endorsed al-Qaeda-affiliated Egyptian Islamic Jihad

Next Post

Turkey’s top court says Ahrar al-Sham is not a terrorist group, overturns al-Nusra conviction

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor

[email protected]

Next Post
Turkey’s top court says Ahrar al-Sham is not a terrorist group, overturns al-Nusra conviction

Turkey’s top court says Ahrar al-Sham is not a terrorist group, overturns al-Nusra conviction

Please login to join discussion
Donate

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor is a news web site and tracking site that is run by the Stockholm-based Nordic Research and Monitoring Network. It covers religious, ideological and ethnic extremist movements and radical groups, with a special focus on Turkey.

Tags

al-Qaeda Andrei Karlov Andrei Karlov China coup Cyprus Diyanet Egypt espionage Germany Greece Gülen Movement Hakan Fidan Hulusi Akar IHH Iran IRGC Quds Force ISIL ISIS Isis al-qaida Israel Libya Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu MIT Muslim Brotherhood NATO President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Profiling Qatar Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Russia SADAT Saudi Arabia spying Spying Activities Suleyman Soylu Sweden Syria The United States Torture Turkey Turkish Intelligence Agency Ukraine United States Yasin al-Qadi

Recent News

Failure to deliver aid and send rescue teams to quake disaster area is turning into anger against Erdoğan

Failure to deliver aid and send rescue teams to quake disaster area is turning into anger against Erdoğan

February 8, 2023
Secret military intel shows most foreign jihadists let go in Turkey after detention

Turkey released two-thirds of ISIS detainees, sent over 1,000 ISIS jihadists to Europe

February 6, 2023
Turkey to ratify a military agreement with Hungary that includes intelligence sharing

Turkey to ratify a military agreement with Hungary that includes intelligence sharing

February 3, 2023

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.