Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said Tuesday that Türkiye's expanding defense industry and increased government investment are creating new opportunities for cooperation between the two NATO allies.
"I think there are great opportunities for cooperation in the defense industry as well. The Turkish defense industry is growing. The Turkish government's putting lots of investment in there, and we're always open to working with NATO partners," Conroy told Anadolu on the sidelines of the NATO Defense Industry Forum (NSDIF26), held alongside the first day of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara.
Conroy praised Türkiye for hosting both the NATO Leaders' Summit and the defense industry forum, saying the parallel events come at a crucial moment for the alliance.
"We've been overwhelmed by the hospitality we've experienced, and my compliments to the Turkish government for hosting an important event. I think it's a great move to have the Defense Industry Forum with the NATO Leaders' Summit," he said.
He stressed that NATO's efforts to increase defense spending must be matched by greater industrial capacity.
"One of the key topics that NATO is grappling with is how to increase our defense industrial base. Lots of countries are increasing their spending on defense, but we need to increase the defense industrial base to go with that. Otherwise, we'll just be spending more to buy the same equipment," he said.
Conroy also described relations between Canberra and Ankara as being at their strongest. "I think the relationships between Turkey and Australia are at an all-time high."
The minister said visiting Anıtkabir and laying a wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on Monday was "a huge honor."
"It'll stay with me to the day I die," he said.
Conroy added that Australia supports Türkiye's bid to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference later this year, saying the event would further strengthen bilateral relations.
"Our bonds go back to 1915, and our friendship is very strong," he added.
