Turkey is eager to cooperate with Japan on unmanned aerial systems, including joint development and co-production of drones, Turkish officials said recently [1, 2]. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted that Turkey and Japan have complementary capabilities in drone technologies, offering strong potential for mutually beneficial collaboration [2].
"Türkiye and Japan have complementary capabilities, and we believe there is strong potential for mutually beneficial collaboration," Fidan said in a May 30 interview, emphasizing Turkey’s advanced and field-tested unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies developed in diverse operational environments [2]. He added that Turkey’s expertise in aviation, particularly in unmanned aerial systems and anti-drone technologies, could provide a solid foundation for cooperation.
Beyond drones, officials see significant untapped opportunities for collaboration between Turkey and Japan in multiple high-tech sectors. These include energy, digital transformation, aerospace technologies, robotics, and resilient supply chains, areas both sides could explore for joint projects and investments [2].
Turkey also aims to leverage Japanese technology and investment to move up the value chain in critical minerals. Fidan stated that Turkey’s strategic objective is not just raw extraction, but producing high-value intermediate and final products. "In that sense, cooperation with Japanese technology and investment could create a true win-win partnership," he said [2].
Negotiations on a social security agreement between the two countries have advanced recently, with hopes for imminent conclusion, which would facilitate deeper cooperation and personnel exchanges [2].
The next milestone will be concluding these social security talks and advancing formal agreements on joint drone ventures, which officials view as foundational to strengthening broader technological and industrial ties.
