Speaking at the press conference for the Industrial Cooperation Days in Defence and Aerospace (ICDDA) event, which will be held for the fourth time this year, Deputy Undersecretary of Defence Industry Celal Sami Tüfekçi said, “This event, which offers opportunities for collaborations, will make a big difference in the Turkish defence sector. I believe that the participation of every stakeholder in the sector in this organization is of great importance.”
The countdown has begun for ICDDA, one of the most important and pioneering international events in its sector in Turkey. Organized under the auspices of SSM and by the OSTİM Defence and Aerospace Cluster Association (OSSA), the fourth edition of the event will be held from October 23-25 at the Hacettepe University Beytepe Congress and Culture Center.
“Turning Interest into Opportunity”
Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Undersecretary of the Undersecretariat of Defense Industries (SSM), Celal Sami Tüfekçi, stated that Ankara is the central hub of Turkey in defense and aviation. Explaining the importance they place on developing SMEs that produce high added value, Tüfekçi said, “In this context, we are giving more importance than ever to our industrialization activities. We are proud to see that the importance we give to the sector, the incentives and support provided, and the increased industrial participation in our projects are transforming into positive and productive developments for you.”
Speaking about the success of past events, Celal Sami Tüfekçi noted that the ICDDA program, with professional coordination, creates a business-oriented platform for local and international suppliers and manufacturers, while also offering opportunities for future collaborations.
"This event will make a big difference in the Turkish defense sector," said Tüfekçi, emphasizing the importance of participation from every stakeholder in the sector. He added, "I believe that Turkish defense and aerospace companies, which are now the focus of attention, will capitalize on this interest and achieve maximum benefit through the synergy created within the organization."
“The Undersecretariat of Defense Industries’ policies are a model for us”
OSTİM Board Chairman Orhan Aydın expressed his satisfaction with being the founder and patron of OSSA. Highlighting the Undersecretariat of Defense Industries’ policies in the sector, Aydın said, “The industrialization policies and strategies of our Undersecretariat of Defense Industries are very valuable and precious to us. These industrialization policies also serve as a model for us. In this sense, we have structured the clustering on this foundation. It’s not just in this area; it’s a model that our country needs, where our SMEs cooperate and join forces, resulting in 1+1+1 becoming not 3, but 111.”
Highlighting the importance of ICCDA for SMEs, Aydın stated, “It is a very significant event that all suppliers and players from around the world come to Ankara and collaborate with our SMEs and businesses; we attach great importance to this. We would like to thank the institutions and organizations, ministries, and the Undersecretariat of Defense Industry that support and sponsor this event.”
“It brings confidence to SMEs”
OSSA Chairman Mithat Ertuğ pointed out that ICDDA brings SMEs together with leading international companies in the sector such as Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Sikorsky, Thales and Leonardo.
Ertuğ, pointing out that the event also contributes to the growth of companies and the increase in employment, said, “International organizations like ICDDA also contribute to the institutionalization of our SMEs and increasing their competitiveness. Meeting with international companies and forming business partnerships with them brings self-confidence to SMEs. There are huge business opportunities abroad. OSSA is working with all its might to enable our SMEs to seize these opportunities.”
Ertuğ, noting that the domestic content in the defense and aerospace sectors has increased from 20% to 65%, said: “It is a fact that the business relationships and collaborations established with our main contractor companies have made significant contributions to the growth of our SMEs. In this process, thanks to the capabilities developed by our subcontractor SMEs in the defense and aerospace industry, our SMEs have improved product quality; the products produced have become compliant with international standards.”
As OSSA, we hope that our ICDDA 2018 event, which we organized to provide the necessary connections and establish collaborations so that our SMEs can utilize their increasing capabilities and potential in international markets, will be fruitful for all participants.”
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