’Defense industry survives the crisis’
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Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 28, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Regardless of good economic times or bad, Turkey’s defense and security sector stands strong and at the region’s largest defense industry fair in Istanbul, the technology and attendees have proved it is an industry moving aggressively ahead.
Turkey’s goal has been to design its own products in the priority areas and to restructure its defense industries for international competition since 2000, said Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül speaking at IDEF 2009, 9th International Defense Industry Fair yesterday.
The fair held by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation under the auspices of the Ministry of National Defense started yesterday at Tüyap Fair, Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul’s Beylikdüzü and it will be open until April 30. It has been held every other year since 1993 and it is in Istanbul for the first time.
The fair has grown into the largest of its kind in the region becoming an important market for presentation and marketing of both local and foreign products, said retired Lt. Gen. Engin Alan in the opening speech.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan put emphasis on the role of Turkey in contributing to the world peace with its mission at the United Nations and as the Turkish Armed Forces has been assigned to provide security in the Gulf of Aden.
"Turkey, as a country that has been exposed to terrorist action for over 30 years from within and outside the country, has a developing defense and security industry," said Erdoğan.
The experts said despite the global economic crisis the defense and security sector has stood up globally compared to others. The increased number of participants and visitors to the fair is one sign of that. Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül said 283 foreign and 178 local firms are present at the fair to promote their technologies to the visitors. IDEF 2009 is being visited by 400 high-ranking delegations from 69 different countries and three international organizations of which 24 are government ministers.
Defense and security
Adam Thomas, press speaker of the a state-based UK Trade and Investment, Defense and Security Organization, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that in times of crisis only two sectors are still being invested which are: defense and security. "Government around the world keep the defense sector as it is and they continue to put money in security sector in this recent crisis," said Thomas, adding that the reason why the U.K. government did not invest more in security this year is that it already allocated money for the Olympics 2012.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 joint strike fighter program’s vice president Tom Burbage, the crisis did not affect high-priority programs in security and defense. However, low-priority programs may be affected negatively from the crisis, he said.
The fair held by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation under the auspices of the Ministry of National Defense started yesterday at Tüyap Fair, Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul’s Beylikdüzü and it will be open until April 30. It has been held every other year since 1993 and it is in Istanbul for the first time.
The fair has grown into the largest of its kind in the region becoming an important market for presentation and marketing of both local and foreign products, said retired Lt. Gen. Engin Alan in the opening speech.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan put emphasis on the role of Turkey in contributing to the world peace with its mission at the United Nations and as the Turkish Armed Forces has been assigned to provide security in the Gulf of Aden.
"Turkey, as a country that has been exposed to terrorist action for over 30 years from within and outside the country, has a developing defense and security industry," said Erdoğan.
The experts said despite the global economic crisis the defense and security sector has stood up globally compared to others. The increased number of participants and visitors to the fair is one sign of that. Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül said 283 foreign and 178 local firms are present at the fair to promote their technologies to the visitors. IDEF 2009 is being visited by 400 high-ranking delegations from 69 different countries and three international organizations of which 24 are government ministers.
Defense and security
Adam Thomas, press speaker of the a state-based UK Trade and Investment, Defense and Security Organization, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that in times of crisis only two sectors are still being invested which are: defense and security. "Government around the world keep the defense sector as it is and they continue to put money in security sector in this recent crisis," said Thomas, adding that the reason why the U.K. government did not invest more in security this year is that it already allocated money for the Olympics 2012.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 joint strike fighter program’s vice president Tom Burbage, the crisis did not affect high-priority programs in security and defense. However, low-priority programs may be affected negatively from the crisis, he said.