Turkey is poised to enhance its defense industry cooperation with Japan, potentially merging advanced Japanese technology with Turkey’s robust manufacturing capabilities and operational expertise. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler has highlighted the possibility of this collaboration reaching a “strategic” level, signaling a significant shift in defense partnerships.
During recent discussions, Guler mentioned that Japan is currently assessing various Turkish unmanned aerial systems (UAS), including the Anka, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries. The Anka is renowned for its long-endurance flight capabilities and continuous surveillance features, making it a vital asset for defense operations. Furthermore, the Japanese authorities are also looking into Baykar’s renowned Bayraktar TB2 and the more advanced Bayraktar TB3 drones as they contour their own defense strategy.
These developments follow a visit from Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen to Ankara, where a series of discussions have taken place regarding maritime security, unmanned systems, training, and air defense technologies. Building on these conversations, a Turkish delegation is set to visit Tokyo in March to further explore defense cooperation opportunities and work towards a potential framework agreement.
As Japan intensifies its emphasis on unmanned systems, Turkey is positioning itself as an attractive partner, a move supported by last year’s defense consultations between the two nations. Turkey’s ambition to expand its export portfolio in defense, particularly in drones, seems to be materializing as evidenced by a remarkable surge in defense and aviation exports, which reached $10 billion in 2025—an impressive 48 percent increase from $7.1 billion in the previous year.
In December alone, Turkey’s defense exports surpassed $2.5 billion, contributing to an annual total of $9.8 billion in goods and $184 million in services, constituting 3.7 percent of the country’s overall exports. Notably, approximately $5.6 billion of these exports were directed towards European and NATO member countries, while additional sales were recorded across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.
These ongoing discussions and increasing defense exports underscore Turkey’s evolving role as a key player in the global defense landscape, particularly in the field of unmanned aerial systems.
