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“Turkey’s Defense Industry Transformation” Panel was held

The event opened with remarks by the Acting Dean of FEASS, Prof. Dr. Özlem Kayhan Pusane. Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aslı Tuncay Çelikel of the Department of Business Administration, the panel featured a series of expert presentations. Prof. Dr. Serhat Güvenç from the Department of International Relations at Kadir Has University delivered a talk entitled “Observations on the Relationship Between the Domestic and National Defense Industry and Autonomy in Foreign Policy.” In his presentation, he examined how efforts toward localization in the defense sector have influenced Türkiye’s flexibility and strategic capacity in foreign policy.

Following this Çekirdek Program,Asst. Prof. Dr. Akın Sefer Dean of Kadir Has University FEASS and Department of International Relations Head of the Department Asst. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Saya from the Department of Economics and Finance at Gelişim University presented “Historical Dynamics of Shipbuilding Policies in the Early Republican Period.” Their discussion focused on how maritime and shipbuilding policies were shaped during the formative years of the Republic, offering a historical perspective on policy development.

Editor-in-Chief of Tarih Vakfı Yurt Publications Assoc. Prof. Dr. İsmet Akça, a political scientist, contributed with his presentation titled “Military Transformation in Türkiye's Political Economy: Defense Industry, Growth Strategy, and Formation of the Power Bloc.” He analyzed the interplay between the defense industry, economic growth strategies, and the evolving political-economic structures in Türkiye.

In the final session, Prof. Dr. Özlem Kayhan Pusane and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol Ülker from the Department of International Relations at Işık University presented “Development and Transformation of the Military Shipbuilding Sector in Türkiye.” They offered a comprehensive evaluation of the sector’s structural evolution and its current state. The panel concluded with discussions emphasizing the strategic importance of the defense industry in Türkiye’s broader transformation.

Overall, Türkiye’s development in the defense sector from past to present was examined through a political and economic lens, with particular attention to the shipbuilding and construction industries alongside military dynamics.