Japan seeks defense cooperation with Türkiye during rare visit

ANKARA

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani has paid an official visit to Türkiye, where he held talks with his Turkish counterpart and scheduled meetings with some of the country’s leading defense firms, in pursuit of potential drone procurement and broader defense cooperation.

On Aug. 19, Nakatani met with his Turkish counterpart, Yaşar Güler, in Ankara, becoming the first Japanese defense minister to pay an official visit to Türkiye.

“In light of today’s evolving global security environment, I would like to stress that we stand ready to make every possible effort to further advance our cooperation with our Japanese friends, particularly in the fields of defense industry and military relations,” Güler wrote in a post on social media following the talks.

The meeting, which lasted more than an hour and a half, resulted in a mutual agreement to further expand bilateral defense cooperation, media said.

The two sides also decided to initiate consultations between senior defense officials to explore opportunities in defense equipment and technology collaboration.

As part of his visit, the Japanese minister also toured Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), a major defense contractor.

He was also scheduled to travel to Istanbul on Aug. 20, where he will visit military facilities and meet with representatives of defense companies, including Baykar, the prominent drone manufacturer.

According to Japanese media reports, the central agenda item of this high-level trip from Tokyo is the potential acquisition of Turkish-made drones.

The Japan Times reported that Tokyo intends to earmark 200 billion yen (approximately $1.4 billion) from its fiscal 2026 budget to fast-track the acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Drone investments figure prominently in Tokyo’s record 8.8 trillion yen budget request, with the goal of integrating air, maritime and underwater drones into the Japan Self-Defense Forces by the end of fiscal 2027.

Within this framework, Japan is also assessing drone procurement options from the United States and Australia. However, according to Japanese press, Baykar-produced armed drones appear to have captured Tokyo’s particular interest.