Poland, which rapidly increased its defense budget after the war in Ukraine and aims to become a member country with the largest army in the European Union (EU), wants to take Türkiye as a model in terms of self-sufficiency and increasing the rate of localization in the defense industry.
Poland more than doubled its number of soldiers, from 100 thousand in 2014, to 220 thousand. While Polish officials announced that they want to have the largest army in the EU, it is aimed to increase the number of active soldiers of the country to 300 thousand and the number of reserve soldiers to 200 thousand.
Poland has already become the third largest army in NATO, after the USA and Türkiye. In addition to increasing the number of soldiers due to concerns about Russia, Polish authorities also aim to create a local and national defense industry.
'Türkiye HAS MADE A HUGE LEAP'
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, in his speech at the opening of the 34th International Defense Industry Fair MSPO held in Kielce, Poland, between 8-11 September, stated that they took Türkiye as an example in the development of his country's defense industry.
Stating that they want to implement a model similar to Türkiye in Poland, Kosiniak-Kamysz said, "Turkey has made a giant leap. It has experienced a great transformation in 20 years. In the past, it produced only 20 percent of the equipment required for its own needs and purchased 80 percent from abroad. Today, these rates have completely reversed."
Answering the questions of the AA correspondent, Polish defense and geopolitical analyst Dr. Natalia Adrianna Potera said that the cooperation between Türkiye and Poland in the field of defense is directed towards technology and potential joint production areas, and that there is room for joint ventures and joint production between the two countries.
Stating that Turkey-Poland defense cooperation is no longer limited to Poland's purchase of Turkish products, but rather focuses on technology and potential joint production, Potera said, "This situation was especially clearly seen at the last MSPO fair in Kielce. The Polish Minister of National Defense (Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz) clearly cited Türkiye as an example of Poland's transformation in the defense industry, and I think this is a great message for our allies as well."
'THERE IS SPACE FOR JOINT PRODUCTIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES'
Potera pointed out that Poland is carrying out a similar transformation that Türkiye has made in the field of defense industry, and stated that there is room for joint ventures and joint production between the two countries.
Pointing out that contracts have already been made between the two countries regarding joint production, Potera cited as an example the signing of a contract between ASELSAN and AMZ-Kutno for additional ARSUS Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems at the MSPO fair held in Poland between 8-11 September.
Stating that the defense cooperation between Poland and Turkey has gone through three stages, Potera emphasized that in the first stage, Poland purchased the Bayraktar TB2 system just before the war in Ukraine, in the second stage, it started to purchase Turkish systems, subsystems and electronic systems, and in the third stage, the two countries moved towards industrial integration and joint development.
'Türkiye IS KNOWN IN THE UAV FIELD'
Potera noted that Poland can cooperate with Turkey in the fields of radars, air defense, electronic warfare and anti-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) systems.
Stating that Türkiye is known in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, Potera said that Poland is not only a gateway to the European market, but also a country that transforms and produces.
Referring to the meeting between President Erdoğan and Polish President Karol Nawrocki in New York within the scope of the 81st General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), Potera said:
"If I had to summarize our current relations, which are not limited to the field of defence, the gift of a sword (by Polish President Karol Nawrocki to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan) was very symbolic. Because not everyone can buy such a sword, and giving you a sword means that I consider you my friend and that I trust you will not stab me in the back with that sword. Therefore, I think we are moving in a good direction."
'WE SEE Türkiye AS A PARTNER'
Potera said that despite the changes in power in Poland, the attitude towards Türkiye has not changed and they see Türkiye as a partner.
Noting that they hope Türkiye will help Poland if needed, Potera emphasized that they are ready to help their allies.
Underlining that it is not widely known that Turkish soldiers contribute to the security of Poland and the Baltic region, Potera said that emphasizing this more often would be beneficial for both sides.
Emphasizing that Poland is going through a geopolitically difficult period because there is a war right next to it, Potera said, "This is our time. We are in a period when everyone is looking at Türkiye and everyone is looking at Poland. Since we are NATO's border countries, I think we are the two most important countries and we should take advantage of this to the fullest and strengthen our partnership because this is an opportunity for us and we do not want to miss this opportunity."
