Türkiye’s Defense Industries Secretariat (SSB) President Haluk Görgün held a series of high-level meetings in Tokyo and Kobe aimed at expanding defense industrial cooperation between Türkiye and Japan, according to a statement from the agency.
During the visit, Görgün met with Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the commanders of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, as well as senior officials from Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA).
According to the statement, discussions focused on strengthening long-term and institutional cooperation in the defense sector between the two countries.
“Relations between Türkiye and Japan have developed on the basis of a long-standing friendship, mutual respect and trust,” Görgün said. He added that the two countries now share a broader cooperation perspective built on historical ties and a strategic partnership approach.
“We aim to transform our strategic partnership with Japan into more concrete cooperation in the defense industry based on advanced technology, quality, trust and mutual benefit,” he said.
Focus on Technology and Industrial Cooperation
Görgün highlighted the complementary strengths of the two countries, pointing to Japan’s engineering, quality and technology capabilities and Türkiye’s defense industrial ecosystem.
“We see strong synergy potential between Japan’s high-technology manufacturing capabilities and Türkiye’s agile, innovative and combat-proven defense industry experience,” he said. “Our discussions aim to translate this potential into concrete cooperation in areas such as research and development, supply chains, system integration and advanced technologies.”
Visits to KHI and NEC Facilities
As part of his visit, Görgün toured facilities operated by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe and NEC Corporation in Tokyo.
The visits included discussions on advanced manufacturing technologies, electronic systems, communications infrastructure, system integration and potential areas for cooperation in defense technologies.
“Through our engagements with ATLA, KHI and NEC, we will have the opportunity to evaluate our respective capabilities more closely,” Görgün said. “Our objective is to establish a sustainable, trust-based and mutually beneficial framework for cooperation between the industrial and technology institutions of both countries.”
Participation in Turkish-Japanese Community Reception
During his visit, Görgün also attended the 100th Anniversary Reception of the Turkish-Japanese Society, held in the presence of Princess Akiko of Mikasa.
He said the relationship between Türkiye and Japan extends beyond institutional engagement, emphasizing the importance of the friendship between the two nations.
“We hope this visit will contribute not only to efforts to develop defense industrial cooperation, but also to strengthening the bonds between our peoples,” Görgün said.